The Girl and The Gangster
by FireTurnsToAsh
Summary: After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her. (Set after season 4) Michael/OC
1. Chapter One

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter One**

* * *

It was another gloomy day in Birmingham but that didn't surprise her. Alice hadn't been in this city for long, but they were just like the others; full of despair and empty promises. As she smoothed the creases out of her blouse with her fingertips, she stared at the exhausted eyes that stared back through the reflection of the mirror. Since her father died and her mother got sick, the pressure to provide a comfortable life for herself and her son became ever more apparent, but she had a reputation that seemed to spread quickly upon her arrival. Her family name struck fear into some and disgust into others. Some people didn't want to work with gypsies and no matter how hard she tried to explain that her father gave up that life to be with her mother, it still didn't matter; her brother Danny had made a name for himself and it messed with her future and her son, Johnny's.

"Mumma," Johnny called as he swung on the frame of her bedroom doorway. His voice seemed to snap her back into reality and as she looked at his chubby little face, she couldn't help but smile, "Nanny wants you."

She smiled at him and stepped towards him, placing a comforting hand on the top of his head. It was hard for her to believe that he was almost six, time had gone on far too quickly, but perhaps that was because she did everything alone. A busy life was a quick life.

"I'll go to Nan, go get yourself dressed for school." She watched him run to his own room before she made her way into the living room, frowning as she looked at her frail mother as she lay on their settee. "How are you feeling today, mother?" Alice poured her mum a cup of tea and helped her to sit up before placing it in her hands.

"Same as every day. Like shite. You got that job interview today, haven't you?" she asked as she blew on the hot tea.

Alice nodded and leaned against the fireplace, she watched her mother sympathetically as a sigh escaped her chest. "It's my last chance. The company's not ideal but if it's a job then I don't care."

"Are you not impressing the others in your interviews? Maybe you should show some skin, you're good at that, aren't you? That's how you got in this predicament, ain't it?"

She couldn't allow herself to get angry with her mother and her harsh critiques; it was the pain of her cancer talking and not her. "Nevertheless, I'm feeling confident. I've left a couple of sandwiches in the kitchen and your bed pan has been cleaned out." When she heard Johnny run out of his room, she took her coat from the bannister and placed it onto her frame.

"And how are you expecting me to get them when they're all the way in the kitchen? I can't bloody move from here, can I?" she snapped once more.

Alice took her son's bag from him and placed it over her shoulder and pushed him towards the kitchen. "Get nanny's sandwiches and hand them to her. And don't forget to give her a kiss." She watched him carry out his instructions and noticed how her mother's mood changed when the tot placed his arms around her.

"Love you nanny." He said before running back to his mother's side.

"Be good my Johnny boy."

"He's always good." Alice commented as she stepped out of the house onto the loud street. She sighed once more and forced a smile onto her face as she took Johnny's hand. "Come on, let's get a move on."

* * *

Once Johnny was safely inside the school, she had to make a long and hasty journey towards Thomas Shelby's office; her insecurities started to race through her mind as she jogged down the cobbled streets, her heels almost tripping her up. She kept one hand on the neat bun she had on the top of her head and the other on her handbag that contained all her certificates and qualifications. If she was a few minutes late, she hoped that he wouldn't mind.

When she managed to get to the office, she found that the doors hadn't even been unlocked yet; she made it within good time. She took out her compact of pressed powder from her bag and patted away her blemishes as she waited for someone to show up. She kept primping until she thought she looked presentable and when she heard a man clear his throat behind her, Alice almost dropped all her belongings.

"Are you here about the secretary job?" he said as he lit up a cigarette.

She nodded at him and held out her hand. "I'm Alice, you must be Thomas Shelby."

He looked at her hand with a raised brow before taking it. "I am, come with me." He took his keys from his jacket pocket, letting his cigarette hang on his lip as he unlocked the door. "I didn't think anyone would enquire about the job so quickly." He mentioned as he led her through his building.

"It isn't every day that an MP puts an ad in the paper. I feared that if I came any later that someone would steal the position from me." She tried her best to sound confident; there was no way that she was going to leave his office without that job.

"I suppose not." He took a seat behind his desk and waved for her to take the seat in front of him. He took a drag from his cigarette before keeping it between his fingers. "So, what qualifications have you got?"

She dug through her bag and handed him over the certificates her college gave her. "I can type, I can answer phones and I'm not too bad with mathematics." She watched him keenly as he read her paperwork. "I've a couple of references written there, just in case you need them." When he didn't say anything, she feared the worse. "Is there anything else that you're looking for, Mr Shelby?"

His icy eyes flickered onto her warm, hazel eyes then back to her pages. "You seem overqualified; I'm just looking for someone to answer a couple of calls, take some messages and write a few letters." He handed them back towards her and sunk into his chair. "I'm sorry, but you haven't got the job."

* * *

She bit her lip and put her certificates back into her bag. Alice couldn't bear to look at him as she walked back towards the door, but when she opened it, she thought of her son and the holes in his school shoes. She thought of her mother and the worry she had to of had for her own daughter and closed the door again. When Thomas looked at her, she turned around and held her bag in front of her body.

"May I ask why I didn't get this job? As you said I'm overqualified."

"Your list of previous jobs has all ended in your sacking."

"Does my surname bother you, Mr Shelby? Because it certainly bothered my previous employers." She took a small step towards his desk. "I have a little boy who needs me to get this job. He's the only reason why I'm here because I know what you do when you're not in Parliament. I may have only been in this city for a few weeks, but you have a reputation."

"If you don't like my reputation, then why are you fighting so hard for me to take you on?" he was intrigued by this young woman; she had a spark inside her that he hadn't saw in a long time.

"As I said, I have a child that I need to take care of." She sat in front of him once more and forced her eyes to stay fixed on his hard gaze. "I came here today, confident that I would get this job and I'm not leaving until I do, Mr Shelby. You're worried about being able to trust me, aren't you?" she fixed her hair and let out a deep breath. "I'm gypsy too, well half on my father's side, I don't disagree with what you do in fact, I could help if you needed… I know horses."

"All gypsies know horses." He replied, leaning forward to take a closer look at her face. She didn't look like a gypsy; she looked clean and she wore her make up well.

"Take a chance on me, Mr Shelby and I promise you won't regret it."

He thought for a moment and pointed the end of his cigarette at her as he said, "Will you be able to keep up with my lifestyle; between meetings with clients and letters to other MPs?" when she nodded, he raised a brow. "Can I trust you?"

"Of course. I don't know anyone in this city, all I've got is my boy."

"You'll get three pounds a week until you've proven yourself as an asset. Once you have, I'll up your pay to four pounds with a bonus before Christmas so that you can get your son something."

She placed her hands over her face as she tried to keep her emotions under control. Alice could've squeezed him, but she had to show that she was professional enough to work for him. Instead, she shook his hand once more as a grin appeared on her face. For the first time, she saw a hint of a smile from him.

"I won't let you down, Mr Shelby."

"Call me Tommy from now on, alright? You start on Monday, bright and early."

She nodded and held onto the edges of her coat, her hand rested against her thumping heart. "Bright and early, Tommy."

"I'll let you see yourself out."

For the first time in months, Alice was excited to return home to her mother; she wanted to see her proud of her once more. It was hard for her to get any sort of approval from her since she had a child without a father but guaranteeing Johnny a good life should gather some sort of respect from her. Agnes was fast asleep when Alice returned home, she didn't have the heart to wake her up as she didn't sleep often anymore. She tiptoed into the kitchen and threw herself together a little plate to eat. As she sat at the kitchen table, a piece of bread and butter in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Alice couldn't help but find pride in herself; she stood up for herself and she got what she needed without having to flash her knickers. Things were finally starting to look up for her.

* * *

_A few weeks later…_

Alice had found a way to get herself into a morning routine, she didn't want to arrive at the office after Tommy; she didn't want to let herself down like that. So, her mornings started at four, she had her mother bathed, clothed and fed by five. When Johnny woke up, he was washed and dressed but the only downside to her routine was that she couldn't walk him to school anymore. Her neighbour started to take Johnny with her own son, her time was limited with him. At least Tommy let her get out early most days to walk him home.

When she got to the office, Polly was the one to open the doors. She smiled at Alice and held the door open for her. "Good morning, Alice."

"How are you keeping, Pol?" she asked as she took her coat off, hanging it by the front door.

"I'm well. Did Tommy not tell you that he was going to be late this morning? Could've saved you the rush to get here." She offered her a cigarette and lit it for her once it was between Alice's lips.

"It must've slipped his mind," she skipped towards her desk and looked through Tommy's meetings. "He's got a meeting with a Michael Gray in five minutes."

Polly smirked and sat on the edge of her desk, looking at the young woman in amusement. "That's why he's going to be late. He's picking my son up from the docks."

Alice took a seat and smiled up at the older woman. Polly had become somewhat of a mentor to Alice, she helped her wrap her head around Tommy's business on the side and when she wasn't helping with that, they spoke about the spirits. Polly had given her a reading once or twice.

"I didn't know that you had a son."

"He's coming back from New York City today. His business is finished there, and Tommy promised he wasn't going to send him away again."

Alice could see the happiness oozing from Polly's face and it made her grin. "I'm glad, it's hard being away from our sons, isn't it?"

"How is little Johnny fitting in at school?"

"He got the cane a few times last week but apart from that, he's been as good as gold."

"He'll grow up to be a fine lad, I saw it in the cards." She said as she got up. "Seen as Tommy's not going to be back at the office for a while yet, do you fancy helping me with the books before the other girls get here?"

"Of course not, I'll be over when I open these letters."

"That'll do."

* * *

Once Polly had left her desk, Alice separated the letters that were addressed to her from the ones that were for Tommy. One stood out from the others. She recognised the poor handwriting and when she read what was inside the envelope, her heart skipped a beat. She didn't know how Danny found out she was working for the Shelby's or why he was so angry, but he threatened to come down to Birmingham if she didn't resign.

Once the letter was folded up and placed into the bust of her dress, she joined Polly at the table. Pol was able to catch on quickly that her mood had changed and without hesitation, she grabbed her hand and made the girl look at her.

"What's wrong?"

"Is Tommy mixed up in business with Danny Finlay?"

Her face screwed up as she tilted her head. "Who is Danny Finlay?"

"My half-brother. He thinks that he's the king of the gypsies up north." She took the letter from her bra and handed it over to Pol, watching as she read the letter slowly. "He wants me to stop working for the Shelby's immediately."

Pol peeked at Alice from over the top of the page, a smirk crossing her lips. "How long has it been since you've seen your brother?"

"He left when I was five, so nearly eighteen years ago."

"Now that your father's gone, he's trying to flex his muscles; show that he's in charge of the family now." She handed the letter back over to the girl and shook her head. "Don't listen to his threats. The gypsies up north are at war with the gypsies in the south and Tommy does business with the ones in the south and not in the north. When you're born into the gypsy bloodline, you better know your politics." Polly warned as she got up from her chair. "Go get yourself some air and calm yourself before Tommy gets back. We'll keep this between us."

Alice smiled and nodded as she got onto her feet. "Thanks, but I think that I should tell him, just in case Danny acts on his threats. Knowing him, he will, and he'll get somebody killed."

"Probably himself."

"More than likely."

* * *

"How does it feel to be back home, Michael?" Tommy asked as they walked into the office.

"I didn't think I'd miss Birmingham until I was a way from her for a year." When his mum ran over to him, her arms outstretched, her lifted her into a hug. "Glad to see me?"

"You have no idea, Michael. How was the big smoke?" she looked over his face, examining him for the slightest mark or bruise.

"Busy."

"Well, I'm glad to see that you're home, safe and sound." She nudged him towards Tommy's office and playfully rolled her eyes. "I'll let the two of you discuss your business, I'll cook us something nice for dinner tonight, as a welcome home."

Tommy watched Michael walk into his office and take a seat in front of the desk before turning to Pol with his hands in his pockets and his brow raised. "Where's Alice?"

"I sent her out to get some air."

"Get her to go to the Garrison and get a bottle of the finest whiskey."

Pol nodded and gripped Tommy's arm before he could walk away and looked at him seriously. "She needs to speak with you when you've got a minute, the poor girl's a bit of a wreck today."

"What's happened?"

"I think it's best if she explains… She wanted to tell you herself."

"Right, well we'll speak when I'm done with Michael." When Pol let go of his arm, he stepped into his office with a smile, shutting the doors behind him.

* * *

"You got yourself a new secretary? What happened to Lizzie?" Michael asked as he sat back into the chair.

"Since she's had Ruby, she's wanted to be at the house more… Look after the kids. You'd like this new secretary I've got, she's very good at her job. Too good for this place." When his office doors opened and he saw dark haired girl with a bottle of whiskey in her hand, he couldn't help but smile; there was something about her that made Tommy feel at ease. She kept his affairs in order and that's what he liked. "There you are, we were just talking about you."

"All good I hope." She took a few steps towards the two men but stopped in her tracks when he started to turn around.

He knew that he recognised that voice; he hadn't heard it since he was seventeen. It made a cold shiver run through him. She obviously remembered him too because she almost dropped Tommy's expensive whiskey. "Alice." He said lowly.

"Henry, what are you doing here?"

"Do the two of you know each other?" Tommy asked as he watched their interaction.

"We used to, a long time ago." He approached Alice, wary of how she was going to react around him. "I don't go by Henry anymore, I found my birth mum and I use the name she gave me; Michael Gray." He smiled slightly as he watched the confusion cross her face. "Tommy's my cousin."

"So, Pol is your mother." She stated as the pieces started to come together. Alice walked past Michael and set the whiskey on Tommy's desk. "Arthur said that this should do you, best whiskey at the bar."

"Alice, talk to me." Michael stared at the back of her head in disbelief; she was the one that left him many years ago and she was the one that refused to look at him.

"Later, Tommy's got business to discuss with you." She didn't look at him as she walked past him, she couldn't bring herself to do it. It had been seven long years and a lot had changed in both of their lives. She couldn't let her emotions cost her a job, not when she had to think about Johnny's needs over her own. She sat down at her desk and buried her head into her hands; she hadn't stopped loving him and she searched for Henry to no avail.

Alice could tell that more than his name had changed… There was something different about him, something dark and he wasn't the same person that she used to know. She felt like she was stuck at a cross roads. Alice wanted to get to know him again but if he was going to be trouble, then he couldn't be anywhere near her son.


	2. Chapter Two

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Two**

* * *

Seeing Alice again had sent his mind into a tail spin; was she here because she knew he would be or was this all one big coincidence? He couldn't stop thinking about the look on her face when she realised it was him sitting in Tommy's office. Michael took a long drink of the smooth whiskey and looked at his cousin; he was just staring at him, clearly unamused by Michael's new lack of focus.

"What was all that about?"

"It's nothing Tommy. She's just a girl from the village."

"Just a girl? Is there going to be a problem with having her here?" he reached across the table for the bottle and poured himself another drink.

Michael shook his head, glancing back towards the door. "Not unless she has a problem. I know how to keep things professional."

"Right, well how about you finally tell me about business in New York?"

"Business is booming, Tommy. We're making legitimate profit and I've employed men that we can trust to run the production of the gin." Michael reached into his pocket and handed Tommy an envelope that contained important details. "All profit goes into this account which you can access at any time."

He opened the envelope and read over the details, impressed by how well Michael did across the sea. "Did you run into any problems?"

"Your reputation has already spread after the news broke of Changretta's death. No one's going to be messing with us."

"Then our business is settled, I'll let you get back to Pol. I know she's been waiting to cook you this dinner since the day you left." Tommy joked light heartedly.

"I better not keep her waiting," he got out of his chair slowly and straightened out his jacket; he knew that he was going to have to walk past Alice and he didn't know why, but he felt nervous, "you and I know how she gets when she's kept waiting."

"For your own safety, Michael, you better go now. We'll have drinks in the Garrison to celebrate properly."

* * *

When Tommy's door opened, Alice didn't flinch and she didn't look up at the figure that loomed at the edge of her desk, she just kept working on her paperwork. Michael cleared his throat and took his hat from his head, holding it in front of his body as he stared at her.

"Aren't you going to look at me?" he asked quietly.

"I'm busy, Hen-Michael…" she sighed and slammed her pen onto the table, her face resting in her palms as she tried to figure out what she was going to say to him. Should she tell him about Johnny, or should she wait to see how rotten he had become? She finally dragged her eyes towards him, feeling slightly sick when she met his eyes. "What do you want?"

"Why are you here?"

"Because I needed a job and nowhere else would hire me."

"Why not? I know that you're qualified; Tommy couldn't stop singing your praises."

"That's my business."

He sighed and scratched at the back of his neck, he was starting to feel frustrated; she obviously remembered their breakup differently than he did. "Why are you getting on like this? You left me, remember?"

"You are so naïve, Michael." Alice said under her breath as she shook her head. When Tommy emerged from his office, she almost felt relieved until she remembered that she had to confess something to him.

"Alice, Polly said you wanted to speak with me." He looked between the two of them, feeling like he had intruded on a delicate situation. From what he could see, the two of them weren't hitting it off, but Michael promised that there would be no trouble.

"Yeah, Tommy. I'll come in now." She lifted the letter from her desk and got up, her eyes unwavering from Michael's.

"I just want to talk." Michael said calmly as he watched her stroll around her desk, towards Tommy.

"I'm not ready to talk." Before he could say another word that would make her change her mind, she stepped into the office and closed the door behind her. She was going to have to get over the shock of seeing him again before she could pour her heart out to him. Alice feared the rejection, she couldn't handle any more.

* * *

"Have you ever met my brother, Tommy?" she asked as she watched his eyes skim the contents of his letter. Alice could tell that even he was struggling to read to poor handwriting.

"Once and it wasn't pleasant for anyone involved." He let the page fall out of his grasp and looked at Alice with an exhausted look. "What are you going to do?"

"Polly says it's just Danny showing me who's boss."

"And who is the boss?"

"I haven't saw my brother in a long time and I'll be damned if he dictates what way I choose to live my life. He's not the one that must worry about Johnny going hungry or putting clothes on his back. It's me, so I'm the boss." She crossed one leg over the other and tucked a stray stand of dark hair behind her ear. "He can worry about his own kids."

"Do you think he'll cause trouble?"

"Knowing Danny, he'll try but he won't come down here. He's not that stupid."

Tommy nodded in agreement and took his cigarettes out from his pocket. He handed one over to her and leaned across the table to light it for her before lighting his own. "I've had worse than Danny Finlay, and I'll encounter more. Where my worry lies is with you."

She raised a brow and let the smoke trickle out her nose. "Me?"

"It makes me think that you could still have loyalties to your brother; he is family after all. Or, instead of coming for us he could be smart and go for you."

Alice rolled her eyes and looked away from Tommy's face. "I told you where my loyalties lie and as for Danny coming for me," she smirked and shook her head, "he can try but he doesn't scare me. His band of gypsies don't scare me, they're my kin too."

"I don't want you getting irate with me, but I've been betrayed before by a pretty face and I'm just testing you before I put my fate in the palm of your hands."

"You're helping me provide for my family, I'm not stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds me." She got onto her feet and put her cigarette out in his ash tray. "Is there anything else before I go back to my post?"

"I just have one thing to ask you before you go, and it's been something that I've been wondering since I saw the look on your face when you saw Michael."

She placed her hand on her chest and hoped that he wasn't going to ask what she thought he was going to ask. "What's your question?"

"There was something romantic between you and Michael, wasn't there?"

She nodded and closed her eyes for a moment. She wasn't out of the woods just yet. "There was, a long time ago. Is that an issue?"

"No, he says you're just a girl from his village; that it won't cause tension."

Those words stung her a little bit and she tried her best not to show that it did. "The tension between us will be put to bed."

"This company can only run smoothly if we're all on the same page. We're tight knit. We're family. Understood?"

"Understood."

"No more drama?" he raised a brow and waited for her reply. When she just nodded, he waved her off, watching her as she stepped out of his office. Tommy knew better, there was always drama when it came to women. He just hoped that Michael would be man enough to handle it.

* * *

Pol set his plate in front of him and as he eyed up the pie, she had slaved over all afternoon, her face dropped as he grimaced, running his fork through the middle of it. She watched him, sitting in front of him to make sure he ate it, a slight frown crossing her lips when he wouldn't.

"What's wrong with it? I spent all afternoon getting that ready for you." She complained as she started to cut up her own piece of the pie.

"I'm not hungry."

"Not hungry my ass, you've probably ate nothing all day."

"I lost my appetite, alright? I appreciate the effort, but I can't eat it." He pushed his plate away and leaned back into his chair.

"Did Tommy say something to you?"

Michael screwed up his face and looked away from his mum. "No, he didn't."

"Then what's gotten into you? You know that you can tell me anything." When he didn't say anything, she set down her cutlery and rested her elbows on the table. "Are you in trouble?"

He knew what Pol was like, she wouldn't let his attitude go and he couldn't tell her that it was Alice that was making him feel like this, she would only make things worse between them. He was just going to have to be as vague as possible. "It's a girl. I saw a girl that I used to know who broke my heart and she won't even speak to me."

"Why won't she speak to you?" it was the first time that Michael had shown any real interest in a girl, part of her was excited at the prospect of him finding a wife; it was about time but she didn't want him to put his heart on the line if the feelings weren't going to be reciprocated. By the way he was acting, she could see that he was in love still.

"She says she's not ready to talk."

"And are you just going to wait and let things go unresolved or are you going to find her and tell her how you feel?" she challenged him with a raised brow, Polly wanted nothing more than to see Michael happy.

"I don't even know where to start looking for her."

"You're a Peaky Blinder for Christ's sake, it wouldn't be hard to find out." She placed her hand over his and looked at him seriously. "Show this girl that you care and maybe she'll talk."

He picked up his fork and started to dig through the pie again once he got a bit of his appetite back. Michael needed the advice, he had never got over his heartbreak, he didn't have the chance to. Just after she left, he met Tommy and his life changed. With everything that was going on around him, he didn't get that opportunity to work past his emotions and now that she was here, in Birmingham, those emotions bubbled to the surface once more. He wanted to work things out with her and if he didn't, he knew he'd regret it for the rest of his life. When they were together, he had someone to turn to, she knew everything about him; he wasn't willing to throw that connection away, she wasn't going to escape him anymore.

* * *

She lay in her bed with her son curled up close to her side as she stared at the flame of her candle. Alice had no idea what she was going to do when it came to Michael, she felt enough guilt for keeping her pregnancy a secret from him in the first place but now Johnny was here and she had to put his needs in front of her own; she did try to find him once or twice because the child needed a father to teach him things that she couldn't, but now she knew why she couldn't hunt him down. When she looked at his face, relaxed and in a peaceful slumber, she could see Michael all over him. He had his nose and his lips, but his hair was as dark as her own. At least she had passed on some of her genetics.

Her peaceful night was interrupted by a knock at the door and a moment later, she could hear her mother yelling from the settee downstairs. Alice got out of the bed slowly and moved as quietly as she could, the child needed his sleep. When she got downstairs, she closed the door that led into her mother and answered the knocking to see Michael.

"How did you find me?" she kept part of the door closed over her body as she stared at him in disbelief.

"Doesn't matter, can we speak, please?"

She sighed and glanced at the staircase, knowing that if Johnny heard the slightest bit of noise that he would be awake. "Let me get my coat and we'll talk outside the house."

* * *

He didn't have much say in the matter because she closed the door before he could agree. He took a step back from the door and placed his hands into his pockets, looking over the house while he had the chance. When she finally came back out, he couldn't help but smile; now was his chance to win her back and to put her mind at ease. He would've been a fool to believe that she was unaware of what he had been through in Birmingham. Michael knew what his mother was like, any opportunity she got she would talk about her son. They strolled along the footpath slowly and in complete silence until one of them was brave enough to speak; it felt like they were seventeen all over again.

"Why did you decide to come to Birmingham?" he looked down at her and noticed the way the street lamps illuminated her gaunt face. He could tell that her life had been much harder than his, he was set up for life and she was barely getting by. She was so thin, clearly didn't eat as well as he did.

"I've tried to find work everywhere; Manchester, London and Liverpool… Birmingham was my last chance. You remember my brother, don't you?"

"Danny? Hard face to forget. Used to come to the village in a big caravan. Your mother used to go wild with rage when she saw him."

"Yeah, well him and his gypsy tribe have made a real name for themselves. Respectable businesses took one look at my last name and shit their pants." She flicked some hair out of her eyes and looked up at Michael's face, she took in his image properly, for the first time in years and found herself getting swept up in her feelings. She looked away from him and kept her eyes to the floor as she recomposed herself. "Tommy was the only one that wasn't scared to take me on, although he almost didn't hire me because of how many times I was sacked. Probably thought I was a gangster." She realised who she was talking to and remembered who she was working for and laughed at herself. "That wouldn't have bothered him either."

"A gangster working for a gangster, maybe it would've put him off." He replied with a smirk.

"Would've been bad for legitimate business."

"He likes you, you know. He thinks you're too good for Birmingham."

"Yeah, well he doesn't know everything, does he?"

"You'd be surprised. You know, when I saw you walk into Tommy's office, I half thought that you were here for me." He peeled his eyes away from her face and placed a cigarette between his lips.

"I did look for you a few years ago, went back to the village and asked the woman who raised you where you had gone. She told me that if I wanted to stay alive, that I shouldn't fall down the same rabbit hole you went down. I didn't know what she meant until I saw you sit across from Tommy. But why would you think that I came back for you when you didn't come for me?"

"Life got in the way. Family business kept me distracted." When she started laughing again, he stopped in his tracks and raised a brow at her. "What? Why are you laughing?"

"I'm not laughing at you, Michael. I'm laughing at how stupid I am."

"Why do you think you're stupid?"

"Because I know what you do for a living and I don't agree with a lot of it; the killing and the booze, let's not forget about the drugs. I've saw the ledgers, Arthur takes the odd bit of snow when Tommy needs him to get crazy. I've only worked for your family for a few weeks to see the madness that goes on."

"We're not all like Arthur."

"But have you killed a man because Tommy's ordered it?"

"No," when she tilted her head at him, he knew that he couldn't lie to her; if things were going to work out the way he wanted them to, he couldn't lie to her, "I've killed a man because I've wanted to."

* * *

When she started to walk away from him briskly, he had to jog to catch up to her. He didn't understand why she was so upset, her brother was just as bad as the Shelbys, even her father wasn't a saint. He took her by the arm and made her stop. They needed to work things out between them or Tommy was going to get rid of her.

"Why are my actions causing you so much grief?" he watched the tears race down her cheeks and when she started dabbing at them with the back of her sleeve, he handed her a handkerchief.

She dabbed at her eyes and let out a sad sigh. "Because I'm not the only one that I've got to worry about getting hurt anymore."

"What are you talking about, Alice?"

"Did nobody tell you about me?"

"Tell me what?"

She bit her lip and looked him in the eye. There was no taking back what she was about to say, and she had no idea how he was going to react. "I have a son, and this might be hard for you to take in, but he's yours."

Michael felt all the blood drain from his face, the news was hard for him to digest. "We have a child? That's why you went back to the village, isn't it?" he ran his hands through his hair and took a long drag from his cigarette before throwing it on the ground. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant? Why did you run off and leave me? I would've married you, if you had of told me."

"I'll explain everything to you, just not here on the street."

"We'll go to my office and get something to drink," he nodded as he kept his eyes glued to hers, "and you can explain why you kept our son a secret from me for so long." He didn't want to shout at her even though he felt like it; he knew what Alice was like and she never would've kept a big of a secret from him. There was more to the story and he couldn't let his anger cost him the truth.

* * *

**A:N Thank you for the support and the reviews on this story. Next chapter should be uploaded in a few days and more of Alice's story will come to the surface. Thanks for reading.**


	3. Chapter Three

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Three**

* * *

He led her into his office and switched on the lamp by his desk. Alice was still crying and no matter what he said to her on the walk over, she wasn't calming down. Michael poured two drinks and handed a glass over to her.

"Make yourself comfortable." He instructed as he sat in his chair, setting one hand on the arm rest of the chair and the other wrapped around his glass. He watched her as she lowered herself into the chair. "Take a sip and calm your nerves."

"What is this?"

"Gin, do you drink gin?"

"I don't drink at all."

"Well, you'll like it. It's sweet."

She forced the alcohol down her throat and set her glass on the desk. "I know that you're probably angry with me."

"Angry is an understatement, I'm livid." He let out a frustrated groan and downed the glass in one. "But I know you, you kept our son a secret for a reason. I want to hear your side of the story."

"Do you remember the summer I left?"

"I remember it as if it was yesterday."

"I was so moody, and we had been having arguments?"

He nodded and waved for her to continue.

"I didn't know what was going on with me, we were being so careful when we were running off together so, being pregnant didn't come into my mind. It was when I was nearly a month late that I asked for my mother's advice and she didn't react the way I thought she would."

"I'm going to assume that she wasn't happy about your condition."

Alice's bottom lip trembled as she looked away from Michael's face. The shame that she felt back then riddled her once more as she thought about to look of fury on her mother's face.

"She nearly threw me out, but my dad stopped her, reminded her that it was their grandchild I was carrying. They kept demanding to know who the father was, but I heard them talking at night saying that they'd string whoever it was up. My dad said something about Danny sorting it so I knew I couldn't tell them it was you."

"But why didn't you tell me? I could've made it right."

"By marrying me? My dad wouldn't have allowed it, he'd rather have had you dead."

* * *

He knew Alice's parents, her father always used to scare him when he was a teenager. It didn't matter how long he had been away from the camps; the man still spoke like a gypsy. He refilled his glass then poured her another and leaned back into his chair. "So, why'd you leave the village?"

"A couple of days after I found out I was pregnant, my mother started worrying about people gossiping in the church so for her peace of mind, my dad decided that we were to move and he told me that if I wanted to keep the father of my child safe, I'd keep it a secret from them. I couldn't let anyone hurt you because of something we both did; I know for a fact that my dad would've brought Danny and his boys down to put you in a shallow grave."

"Nothing would've stopped me from being a father to that boy, not your father or your brother."

"You say that now because you're a Peaky Blinder, but you weren't that back then. You were a sweet boy who helped me tend the horses in the stables and picked me apples from your mother's orchard."

Michael knew that she was right, back then he was nothing compared to the man he was now. "Let me get this right then... You didn't break things off with me because you stopped loving me, but because you wanted to protect me from your family?"

She let out a sigh and nodded at him. Alice knew that she had hurt him, she wasn't blind, she could see it in his eyes. She just didn't realise how much pain she caused him.

"Then why did you tell me that you stopped loving me? Why would you choose to break things off with me at that white well where I told you I loved you?"

"If I told you I was leaving, you would've looked for me and if you still had good memories of me, you would've come for me. I had to make sure that you hated me, you had to stay away and move on with your life."

"When I first met Tommy, I told him that I wanted to blow up that well because every time I thought of it, I felt my heart break a little more. I did hate you, I thought I did until I saw you this morning."

Alice dried her eyes and lit up a cigarette for herself. She wished that she didn't have to cause him that pain but in the grand scheme of things, it kept him breathing. If she had to make the choice again, she wouldn't have changed her decision.

"If you're that scared of me getting killed, why are you telling me now that I'm your son's father?"

"My dad died a year after Johnny was born and a year after that my mother was diagnosed with lung cancer." She watched Michael's expression change, he didn't seem angry with her anymore, instead he seemed to be sympathetic.

"I'm so sorry, Alice." He said sincerely.

"I went looking for you after my mother's diagnosis; my dad was gone, and my mother didn't speak to Danny, so I knew things would've been safe. But you weren't at the village and your mother refused to tell me where you went. I even went to a fortune teller to see if she had answers, but she was a scam." She ducked her head and placed her hand on her forehead. "She played me for a fool and told me you were in Manchester."

* * *

He reached across the desk for her hand, giving it a small squeeze before settling back into his chair. It was hard for him to be mad at her now that he saw the bigger picture. Alice thought that she was doing the right thing; if anyone was to blame, it was her family.

"Life's just gotten harder, my mother's on death's doors and I'm raising Johnny by myself."

"It doesn't have to be like that anymore, I want to be a part of Johnny's life. I want to help raise him."

His face was dripping with concern, she was different, and it wasn't just being a single mother that made her like this. Keeping a secret for that long had ate away at her vigour, watching her son grow up without a father had stole a piece of her soul. Michael knew what it felt like to lose your mind and spirit.

"I think this is the gin talking, because I'm normally not so rash, but why don't you come home with me and you can see your son for the first time?"

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'll even let you tuck him in."

A small smile crept onto his face and sort of excitement filled him at the prospect. He couldn't have imagined that he feel like this so quickly, it was because it was Alice, she was his first and only love. "I'd like that a lot."

* * *

They were able to speak more freely now that there was no secret weighing Alice down, she was able to tell him all about their son and what he was like as he grew up; all the tantrums and how he was getting on at school. She could tell that he was hanging on her every word, eager to know about Johnny. She unlocked the front door and led him up to her room where Johnny was sleeping. Michael took his hat from his head as he looked at her room first; she didn't have much, a few dresses hanging on the handle of her door and one book on her nightstand and then he looked to her bed and saw the boy, fast asleep. He watched Alice as she sat down slowly by her son's side and noticed how delicately she moved his mop of chocolate brown hair from his face. Johnny stirred and latched himself to her side before she scooped him up into her arms. She stood up and brought his son to him so that he could get a closer look.

"He's your spit image, isn't he?" she whispered, kissing the top of her son's head lovingly.

"He looks like me when I was his age." He set his hand gently on Johnny's head, petting at his hair. He didn't know much about kids, but it was clear that Alice did everything right by the child; he was well fed, and he seemed so content. He watched her as she stared down at their child, it was a sight that he wanted to see more often. "Do you mind if I hold him?"

Her eyes rolled up to him and she could see how much he wanted to by the way his eyes twinkled in the candlelight. "Of course." She passed the child over carefully and smiled as Johnny's arms wrapped around his neck in instinct. "Luckily, he's a heavy sleeper."

A warm feeling entered his heart as he held onto his child for the first time ever. It was then that he knew what unconditional love was, it was something that he didn't know he needed until now. When he looked at Alice, he couldn't be more thankful that she was Johnny's mother, she done such a good job considering her circumstances.

"Where's his room?"

"Next door, I'll show you."

* * *

She squeezed past Michael and showed him into Johnny's room. His toys were neatly put away and his room was better decorated than hers. The child had everything that he needed while she barely had anything, and it made Michael feel guilty. He lived an indulgent lifestyle, he spent his money freely while she scrimped and saved to spend every shilling she had on Johnny.

He placed him on the bed and pulled the quilt over him, tucking him in tightly. He turned when he felt Alice's hand on his shoulder and saw her standing with a teddy bear in her arms.

"He doesn't like sleeping in his own bed without this." She explained as she handed it over to Michael. "It needs to be tucked in with him or I'll hear all about it in the morning."

He smiled and placed it under the covers with the boy. He knew he should let him sleep in peace, but all he wanted to do was listen to him snore and watch him as he dreamt. Once he had his fill for the night, he followed Alice out of the room and closed the door over as soundlessly as he could. He looked down at Alice as she shrugged her coat off and draped it over the bannister. He didn't know what to say, he couldn't risk messing things up.

"I would invite you to sit and talk downstairs, but my mother only moves from the settee on good days." She reached behind her head and took out the pins that held her bun in place.

"I don't want to keep you, I can tell that you're exhausted." He set his hand on the cracked bannister and moved his hand towards hers, letting his finger brush against her skin. He was pleased when she didn't pull her hand away from him.

"I'm always exhausted, this is just how I look now." She said light heartedly, her eyes drifting away from his. She didn't know what she was doing, she wasn't thinking rationally anymore. Her head felt light from the gin and her heart was beating so fast that it gave her an adrenaline rush.

"You need some sleep, we both do. I know that Tommy gives you the weekends off to be with Johnny, so if you'll let me, can I see you both tomorrow?"

"Just the three of us, I don't want to confuse Johnny too much by introducing him to the rest of your family."

"It'll just be us, what do you think?"

She took her hand away from his and rested it on her chin. "I'd like that, so would Johnny. Now that he's getting older, he's asking a lot of questions."

"I'll pick the two of you up tomorrow morning, not too early so you can get a lie in and hopefully I'll be able to answer some of his questions." he leaned into her hesitantly and placed a delicate kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight, Alice."

* * *

The next morning, when Alice woke up, she was surprised to find that Johnny wasn't sitting at the end of her bed, willing her to wake up. She could hear him talking downstairs and when she went to investigate, she found that her mother was finally able to get herself off their settee. Agnes had already fed Johnny and she was watching him play with his wooden horses on the floor in front of the fireplace. Alice smiled as she sat down beside her mother, watching her with such content.

"Morning mother, how're you feeling today?"

"I'm not perfect but I feel a lot better." She looked at her daughter and reached across to hold her hand. "I almost got a full night's sleep."

"You must've needed it."

Agnes was silent for a second, she didn't know if she should ask her daughter who was at the door last night, but the curiosity was gnawing at her. "Was I dreaming when I heard someone at the door during the night?"

Alice moved from her seat to the floor; Johnny was adamant that his mother was going to play with him. "You weren't dreaming, mother."

"So, who was at the door? Was it a gentleman caller?"

Alice glanced at Agnes from the corner of her eye and raised a brow. "A gentleman caller? Do you really think I have the time for a gentleman caller?"

"Well you had time to disappear for a while; I didn't even hear you come back."

"If you must know, it was Johnny's father and I've agreed to let him meet him today." She pressed her lips together and waited for the barrage of accusations to be thrown her way, but her mother was unsuspectingly calm. Agnes just didn't have the same fight in her.

"Who is Johnny's father? If he's going to be calling here at all hours, then I should know."

"Do you remember Henry Johnson? He used to bring apples over and you'd bake them into pies?"

Agnes nodded slowly, she remembered the name, but she couldn't find his face. "He wasn't the fellow that had the jet-black hair?" when Alice shook her head, she started to feel frustrated with herself. Why couldn't she remember? "Well which one was he?"

"He had the light brown hair, you used to think he was a pretty boy."

"Yes, he was the boy Rosemary fostered. I liked him, he seemed to be besotted with you."

"He goes by Michael Gray now, because he found his birth mother."

"Whatever he's called now, I'm glad it's him. I always feared that it was someone from Danny's tribe."

"You're taking this very well, mother. I thought you'd argue with me."

"The boy needs his dad and you're old enough to make your own choices; if you want him back in your life, then you decide. I'm not going to be here for much longer."

Alice looked her mother in the eyes when she felt her own well up; they didn't always get along, especially when her mother was in pain and short with her, but she didn't want her mother to die just yet. There was so much living that still had to be done.

"Will you be okay if Johnny and I leave for a few hours?"

"Do what you need to do, I'll still be here when you come back; I might even try to get some fresh air."

Alice jumped up to her feet and pulled Johnny away from his toys even though her protest with a cry and a whimper. "As long as you don't attempt the stairs."

"Not until I get my strength back, go get yourselves ready. You can't be late."

* * *

Johnny hated his hair being brushed, but Alice wanted him to look perfect for this big day; it had to go well, she knew that Michael would love him straightaway, but Johnny was going to take some work.

"Now, my little Johnny boy, I need you to be on your best behaviour for mummy." She placed a kiss on his cheek and fixed his hair into position before whispering in his ear, "You're going to see your dad for the first time. Are you excited?"

"Yes mumma, what's dad like? Is he nice?" he climbed onto his mother's knee and played with the ends of her hair, twirling them around his fingers.

"Your father was the sweetest man I knew, we used to love each other very much."

"Where was he? I don't remember him."

"You wouldn't, baby. Nanny, Pops and I moved away before you were born."

"Has dad saw me before?"

"He tucked you into bed last night, you were sound asleep."

Johnny looked up at the face that gave him comfort and watched her lips curl into a smile. "Do you still love dad?"

When she heard a car horn honk outside the house, she set Johnny back on the floor. "That'll be your dad. Go get your coat on and tell Nanny that we're leaving."

* * *

He waited patiently outside the house, his stance was wide as he smoked and watched for the door to open. Michael felt nervous, he didn't how Johnny would react to him, he was under no illusion that the child would show the same attitude to him as he did to Alice, but he wanted to build that bond. He threw his cigarette away when the door opened, and he beamed as he lay his eyes on the boy. He crouched down, getting to his level and held his hand out towards him. When Johnny looked to Alice for support, suddenly feeling very shy, she nudged him towards Michael and gave her approval.

"Do you know who I am?" he kept his tone light and his voice low; he didn't want to scare him, and he didn't want to come on too strong. He had to find the balance.

"Mumma says that you're my dad." He said meekly as he kicked his feet.

"That's right, I am. You look just like me, don't you?"

Johnny inspected his face and saw some similarities, it made him lighten up and smile. "Am I going to look like you when I'm a big boy?"

Michael chuckled and glanced up at Alice as she sniggered quietly. "Maybe, would you like that?"

Johnny nodded and turned his attention to his father's car. "You have a car!" he exclaimed giddily.

"I do, have you ever been in one?"

"No, mumma and I always take the train. I don't like the train, it's so loud."

"Maybe later, your mother might let you sit with me behind the steering wheel."

Johnny turned to Alice in a bewildered excitement. He tugged at the end of her skirt and reached for her to pick him up. "Can I mumma? Please?"

"If you want, baby." She lifted him and gazed at Michael. "Where are you taking us?"

"I have a house just outside the city. There's a big garden there, if the rain stays away, Johnny and I can play on the grass." He placed his hands in his pockets and tilted his head. "What do you think?"

"Just the three of us." She reminded him as he opened the car door for them.

"It's a house all to myself, no family gatherings, just yet."

* * *

**A:N In the next chapter, I'm going to have Michael and Johnny develop their bond a little bit and perhaps let Alice and Michael bond a little too. Thank you so much for reading!**


	4. Chapter Four

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Four**

* * *

As promised, Alice had to let Johnny sit behind the steering wheel with both hands rested on it; once the notion was in his head, there was no disagreeing with him. Michael kept him firmly on his lap, one hand keeping the car moving straight and the other on his shoulder. He was enjoying the time they were spending together already, the journey out of the city was long enough to get Johnny out of his shy mood and open up around his father. He hadn't stopped giggling and messing around since he got behind the steering wheel. Alice watched them for a while, feeling content with letting Michael into Johnny's life and after a while, she turned her attention to the countryside that passed by her window. She preferred the open air and green fields; it called to her, she blamed her gypsy blood for the will for freedom. He looked at her and saw the way her eyes clung onto every empty pasture and how she longed for the liberty that came with it. Sometimes he felt like that too, he didn't want to admit it, but he enjoyed his time in hiding with the gypsies a little too much. It was hard to leave Birmingham though, he just loved the thrill more.

His house was beautiful, two storeys and front garden full of little pebbles and stone. The inside was just as lovely, finely decorated due to the money Shelby Company ltd provided him. She let go of Johnny's hand and watched him run to the huge glass door that looked out to the big garden Michael had promised. He looked over his shoulder with a playful gaze and a pout.

"Can we play outside, please mumma?"

She looked at Michael and handed her coat to a maid that appeared from the kitchen. "Well Michael, are you up for a runabout?"

"You're coming out as well?"

"Who do you think roughhouses with him?" she smiled as she walked over to her son and picked him up, letting him glide in the air for a moment before resting him on her hip. "Our little Johnny is like a whippet."

"Do you fancy a game of football, Johnny?" he stepped towards them and opened the doors, letting the fresh air into the house.

"Yes please! I love football." He exclaimed, bouncing up and down in glee.

"Fancy playing goalie?" he looked at Alice as he walked outside, picking up a ball from the side of the house. When she followed him out, he kept the ball between his hands and dared her to say yes with a grin.

"Fine, but I'll only accept if you admit that you're scared to play me." She set Johnny down on the grass and picked up two rocks, setting them apart as a makeshift goal post. "You remember how good I used to be at football don't you?" when he threw the ball at her, she caught it easily.

"Maybe you should jog my memory."

She smirked, readied herself between the two rocks and rolled the ball towards the father and son. "Maybe later."

* * *

He let Johnny have most time with the ball, watching him dribble it around him; he was running rings around Michael and he wasn't used to it. He was already starting to feel tired as he chased him up and down the large plain of grass. He had no idea how Alice was able to keep up with the youngster because he was full of energy. Now he knew what she meant when she said she was always exhausted, he could only imagine how many times a day Johnny begged to be played with. He let Johnny run on with the ball towards the goal and grinned as he saw the ball slip past Alice. She pretended to be annoyed for a second before grabbing Johnny and tossing him into the air.

"Good job, Johnny boy." She kissed him on the head and set him back on the floor. "Go get the ball." She glanced over her shoulder at Johnny as she strolled towards Michael. "Are you having fun?"

"He's got me knackered." He rested his hands on his hips and watched the boy mess around with the ball. "I don't know how you keep up with him."

"With great difficulty. He comes home from school and has so much energy in him that his hard to sit him down and do his homework."

He turned to Alice and stared at her face, noticing the way her face changed every time she caught Johnny dropping the ball as hard as he could before catching it in the air. She looked so joyful and he could tell that to her, this was complete bliss.

"Thank you for letting me spend this time with him."

"You're his father, I know that it's my fault that you missed out on so much so I can't let you miss anymore."

He shook his head and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault, so stop blaming yourself. Why don't you head into the house and get yourself settled? I've got Johnny a kite and I think we should fly it."

As much as she didn't want to miss the important moments, she realised that Michael needed to spend some time alone with their son. She had five and half years with him alone, the least she could do was give him some time.

"Of course, I'll take the opportunity to explore this wonderful home you have."

He couldn't take his eyes off her as she walked away; he was getting lost in Alice's spell all over again, but he didn't mind at all. There were worse women to be entranced by.

* * *

Johnny kept his eyes closed as he was instructed and kept his hands out waiting for his surprise. Michael placed the kite into his small hands and told him to open his eyes once more. The child looked confused, he had never saw a kite before and he didn't know what it was supposed to do.

"What is it dad?" he turned the kite over and looked at the little bits of wood that kept the shape.

"Have you never flown one of these before?"

"It can fly?"

Michael chuckled and squatted in front of his son. "That's what makes it fun. See that string? Hold onto it, sprint as fast as you can and look behind you." He patted him gently on the top of the head and stood up again. "Go on, take it for a spin."

Johnny tried as best as he could to make the kite fly, but he wasn't running fast enough; he kept slowing down every time he looked over his shoulder at the kite which made it fall to the floor.

"Keep running, Johnny and I'll tell you when to look." Michael called out to him as he took a cigarette from his top pocket.

He changed his path and ran back towards Michael, pushing himself as hard as he could. "Am I doing it?"

"You're almost there, keep going."

He was so determined to get the kite off the floor that he was almost tripping over himself but wasn't going to fall. When his father finally told him to look, he decided to run backwards and looked up at the kite in awe. He'd never saw anything like it before. He laughed as the wind pulled it a little bit away from him, almost taking him along with the kite and now that it was in the air, he didn't have to run, he could stand and watch it float in the wind.

"Do you like your kite, Johnny?" He stepped towards him and kept his eyes on it as it floated in the breeze.

"I love it dad," he wrapped one arm around Michael's leg, pressing his head against him and squeezing as tightly as he could, "thank you so, so much."

He looked down at him and smiled as he rested his hand on top of his thick head of hair. A warm feeling fluttered through his chest as he watched his boy grin at the drifting kite in the sky. Was this what it felt like to be a father? To be so full of pride and joy? The feeling was so alien, but it felt right.

* * *

There were plenty of rooms to explore, granted most of them were empty but the ones that were full had plenty of antiques and treasures begging to be gawked at. Alice had never saw so many collectibles and riches anywhere before but the place that called to her the most was Michael's library. Books of every description filled the shelves and she could tell by looking at them that it would take a lifetime to read every single one. Alice had ever only owned one book and it was one that she forgot to return to one of the libraries in London. She picked a book up and scanned the first page, her finger trailing the words, unable to keep up with her eyes. She closed the book when the maid knocked lightly on the open door.

"Miss Finlay, Mr Gray asks if you and Johnny would like to stay for tea?"

She held the book to her chest and pursed her lips together as she thought about her answer; she didn't want to leave but she worried about her mother being home alone. The guilt of cutting their time together short was eating at her but she had other responsibilities to attend to.

"Tell Michael, I'd love to but it's time for me and Johnny to go home." When the maid nodded and left, Alice placed the book back onto the shelf and prepared herself to face her son's disappointment.

When she walked down the stairs, she saw Michael crouched down, whispering something to Johnny. Whatever it was, it stopped him from bursting into tears. She took her coat from the maid and placed it onto her body, watching her son with a slight frown.

"Are you ready to go back to Birmingham, Johnny?"

"I don't want to go, mumma. I want to stay with dad and fly kites!" he protested.

"I know baby, but nanny needs us. There will be more days to fly kites with dad, I promise."

"See, didn't I tell you that?" Michael said as he tickled under his chin. "If your mum allows, you can come here any weekend you want."

"Really? Please say that I can, mumma. Oh please!" he ran over to her, tugging on her coat.

"A whole weekend?"

"Why not?" he asked with a shrug.

"We need to speak about this first, Michael. I don't know if I'm ready to give him over to you for the whole weekend."

"Then one night, you can even stay here, and I'll have a room set up for the both of you."

She looked down at Johnny's twinkling brown eyes and let out a sigh. "If nanny has more good days where she can be left alone, then maybe, we can stay with dad for one night."

"It's just one night, Alice. What's the worst that can happen?"

She glared up at him with a warning look; he had no idea what it was like to care for someone that was so ill. He could tell that he hit a nerve with her and left the room to get their coats. He used to know all the right things to say to her, but he was so out of the loop now and both of their personalities had changed; she was more emotional and on edge whereas he was harsher and stern. They were going to have to get to know each other all over again.

* * *

The whole way home, Johnny planned the activities for next weekend out loud. As much as she loved how quickly Johnny was taking to his father, she couldn't help but worry. She knew that Michael wanted to spend as much time as possible with Johnny, but he was a Peaky Blinder and with that title came the violence and the threats. Alice wanted to keep Johnny out of that life and before she could let him stay with Michael, she had to lay out some rules. It was for their child's safety, it had to be done.

"Johnny, give your dad a hug and go into the house, I need to speak with him privately."

Michael kept his eyes on Alice, his brow arching as he looked at her firm face. When he felt Johnny's arms wrap around him, he lifted him off his feet and hugged him affectionately. "I'll see you soon, Johnny. Be good for your mother."

"Bye dad."

He kissed him quickly on the side of the head and watched him run into the house and slam the door shut. He leaned against the bonnet of the car and watched Alice as she shifted her weight awkwardly.

"What do you need to speak to me about?"

She looked down at the floor and let out a sigh. She felt conflicted. "I love how you and Johnny are excited to be in each other's lives, it's all I've ever wanted."

"But?"

"There needs to be some boundaries." She could feel the air between them become tense and at this moment, Michael could either resonate with her concerns or show the animalistic side she didn't want to see. "I don't want Johnny to know what you do for a living, he's at the age where he's so impressionable and he picks up on everything. I don't want weapons around him, and I don't want Peaky business around him. No mention of it while he's in your care."

He was dumbfounded, did she really think that low of him? He screwed up his face and turned his head away from her; he couldn't bear to look at Alice. "I would never, ever let Peaky business happen around him and as for my weapons, they'll be somewhere safe, where I can access them, but he can't. Do you really think that I would risk his safety?"

"You have to understand that for the longest time, I've had him every day and I'm trying to lay the foundations for you to have him every weekend by yourself because you do deserve that time with him, away from me. I've kept him in this pristine little bubble where nothing can hurt him, where he doesn't see the bad parts of life; he doesn't even know what a gun is or that it exists..." she ran her hands down her face and kept them over her eyes briefly. "This is difficult for me, Michael. He's my baby."

He stepped towards her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer towards him. "He will be safe with me, Alice," he whispered to her, removing her hands from her face. When she looked at him, he nodded at her reassuringly, "no Peaky business, no weapons… I swear to you. And if you're not comfortable leaving him with me then you're more than welcome to stay at my home. I'll have a room made up for you, I already told you that."

"I can't leave my mother alone."

"And you can't put your life on hold either." He ran his fingertips along her silky hair and resisted the urge to kiss her. "Think about it, Alice. Your mother survives when you leave the house for work, she survives the time it takes you to walk Johnny home from school so, why do you think she couldn't survive a night without you?"

"Because when she's bad, she's really bad."

"Then we'll see what she's like next weekend, I'll have your room put together and if you stay in it, then that's fine… If you don't, that's fine too. Just don't write it off just yet."

She nodded in agreement and repositioned her coat around her body. "One way or the other, Johnny can go to your house next weekend."

"And what about my family? I know that my mother would love to know about her grandchild, and I don't want to keep him a secret."

She moved towards her front door, stepping backwards as she kept her eyes on him. "Now that you've met him, you can tell whoever you want. But please, don't bring trouble to my doorstep."

"None of them will say a bad word to you, or I'll deal with them."

His words gave her some sort of encouragement, one thing she knew about the Shelby family was that they cared about family above everything else. Because Michael accepted Johnny, they would too. That's what she hoped for, anyway.

* * *

He called for a family meeting to take place at the office. When Michael arrived, the Shelby brothers, Ada and his mother were sitting around the table waiting for him. He walked into the room and took a seat beside his mother, looking at each of them in turn as they all fell silent. Tommy already had a feeling that this was going to be about Alice and his curiosity was piqued; he wanted to know why seeing each other again sparked so much animosity between them.

"I'm sure you all know by now that there's a history between Alice Finlay and I; if you didn't, there's a history between us." He watched Pol from the corner of his eye, she was watching him so closely as she smoked her roll up. "You probably know about her son, Johnny because knowing Alice she's spoke freely about him, he is the apple of her eye after all."

"Get to the point Michael, why'd you drag us all here?" Arthur said as he swayed on the edge of his seat. His comment made Tommy smirk ever so slightly.

"Well, Johnny's family. I'm his father."

Polly looked at the floor and then back to her son; Alice had told her so many stories about Johnny and now she was starting to think that it was one big hint that was thrown in her direction. She felt blind for not seeing it.

"How long have you known that you had a son and why on earth didn't you tell me?" she asked as she turned her whole body towards him.

"I've known since that night you told me to speak to girl that broke my heart. Alice was that girl and the night we spoke, she told me about Johnny although I'm surprised no one else mentioned it considering most of you saw the way we acted around each other." He looked in Tommy's direction and raised a brow.

"It's her business to tell you, not mine." He replied stoically.

"Shut up, Tommy," Pol said as she held her hand out towards him, "have you met him? Is he definitely yours?"

"I spent all day with him and Alice; he's my double, mum." He smiled at Pol and it was a genuinely happy smile. She hadn't saw him smile like this in a long time. "He's such a good boy, so content."

"I don't want to ruin this moment, but I've got to ask," Ada spoke up for the first time, "if she knew you were Johnny's father, why didn't she tell you long ago? Why did she wait until you were well off before telling you?"

"Ada's got a point, it's very well timed." Tommy added as he placed a cigarette between his lips. "She gets a job at Shelby Company ltd and befriends us all then drops this grenade into our laps."

"Because I don't go by Henry Johnson anymore, she couldn't find me. That's all you need to know, she's explained to me and I don't think she owes an explanation to anyone else. It's between us and only us."

"When can I meet him?" Polly looked up at him, clinging onto his arm in anticipation.

"I'll speak with Alice, but she doesn't want to confuse him; it's been him and her for his whole life."

"Do you love her?" Tommy asked as the cigarette that dangled from his mouth.

"Of course, he does it's written all over his face." Ada said with a smirk.

"I still love her, Tommy but I don't know if it's reciprocated."

"Here's a bit of advice, I don't dish it out often so listen if you want. She's smart, beautiful and most importantly, she's the mother of your child; if you want an easy life, marry her."

"He just said that he doesn't know if she feels the same, Tommy." Polly exclaimed, she was angry that Tommy was the one to give her son advice and not her.

"I can find that out, that is if you want a future with Alice."

Michael hadn't taken his eyes off Tommy since he spoke negatively about her; it was the way he was, no matter how much he liked someone, he always had something bad to say about them, but Michael didn't expect to feel so protective over her, it shocked him.

"How are you going to find out?"

He shrugged and glanced at his brother before turning back to Michael. "I'll put her to the test."

* * *

**A:N Thank you for reading/reviewing/favouriting and following. Your support means a lot to me and I hope you're enjoying the story. Next chapter, Tommy will test Alice's feelings and Polly will get to meet Johnny for the first time. Again, thank you for reading!**


	5. Chapter Five

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Five**

* * *

If Michael was going to be happy, then Tommy had to make sure she was the right woman to bring into the family; she needed to be faithful to both Michael and the company, a relationship between them wouldn't work if she couldn't accept Michael's way of life. If she broke his heart for a second time, Polly would pluck out her eyes. The only way Tommy knew how to test a woman was the same way he tested Lizzie when she was supposed to marry John. But he wasn't going to offer money to Alice, he was going to make her feel comfortable and safe. There was one thing he knew about her, she wanted a quiet life. He could play that to his advantage.

He lifted his head from his pages when she knocked on the door and once, he waved her in, she sat down in front of him, leaving the dossier she had compiled in front of him. He flicked through the pages briefly before looking up at her.

"Is this everything?"

"It's everything I could dig up about Mr Tweedy, where he imports to and from, how many shipments a year he makes, and I even found out where he likes to get a pint of bitter." She felt accomplished, she had spent almost a week sleuthing around for the biggest exporter in Scotland; now that Danny had pretty much declared war on the Shelbys, exporting out of Liverpool was never going to happen and if Tommy was to expand his business, he needed somewhere north.

"You've done a good job, Alice… I'll have a read at this, perhaps you can join me and share your knowledge on this man."

"I would, but you know that I need to pick Johnny up from school. Now that my mother can walk further than the kitchen, I thought I'd take a detour home and let him run around the park."

"Why don't you let Michael pick him up? He could take him to Pol's instead. I know she's been dying to meet him, hasn't stopped asking him questions since he told us all."

She thought for a moment, Alice wanted Johnny to know Michael more before he was introduced to his father's side of the family but now that they all knew, it was only right that Johnny knew too.

"Alright, I'll go out and ask him."

He watched her speak with Michael and although he didn't get the best angle from his desk, he could tell that there was still something between them. It wasn't like a fire just yet, but there was a flame. For the first time, Tommy found himself not wanting a woman to fall for his charm. He wanted Alice to prove his doubts wrong and she had to prove Michael right. When she came back into his office, Tommy could see his cousin looking in, giving him a nod before the door closed; at least he had Michael's blessing to try.

* * *

He poured himself a glass of gin and glanced over at the woman as she read through her hard work. He allowed her to sit in his chair and to smoke his cigarettes. He took a sip of the sweet gin and brought the glass over to his desk, setting it in front of her.

"Do you want me to get you a glass?" he asked lowly, but she didn't even hear him. Once he cleared his throat loudly, she looked up at him with a raised brow.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Do you want some gin, Alice? You're off the clock now, I won't mind."

She shook her head and looked back at her notes. Either Tommy was losing his touch, or she had no interest in him whatsoever; they always accepted his offer for a drink. He moved around his desk and peered over her shoulder, letting his body get close to hers as he read the page she had stopped on.

"Mr Tweedy will more than likely accept your offer, for a reasonable price. My brother and his band of gypsies used to ransack his shipments that left from Liverpool, that was the reason he moved trade up to Ayr." When she realised how close Tommy was to her, she shifted in her seat, wishing that it would make him take a step back. It didn't.

"Tomorrow morning, I want you to write a letter, inviting Mr Tweedy to Birmingham. You can fill in the blanks because you're better at that than I am."

"I'll write it first thing in the morning." She closed over the dossier and kept her eyes to the desk. "Tommy?"

"Mhmm?"

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

She turned slightly in the chair with a grimace. "Look how close you are to me. First you let me sit in your chair, then you offer me a drink… Now this. What's going on?"

* * *

Tommy took a step back and placed his hands into his pockets; he was pleased with her, she gave him no reason to turn Michael away from her, but he dreaded that what he was about to omit would ruin any potential future for them and their family.

"I just wanted to see if you'd bite. That's all."

"You mean, sleep with you?" she scoffed and got out of the chair. "I don't think so Tommy. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with you,"

"Your heart just belongs to somebody else and that's what I wanted to find out."

She folded her arms across her chest as she felt a twinge of annoyance in her gut. "Did Michael ask you to do this?"

"No, I offered."

"How noble of you." She grabbed her coat from the back of Tommy's chair and folded it over her arm. "I've only been with Michael and there's a reason for that. I've loved that man since I was seventeen."

"Do you love him still, Alice because he still loves you."

"I'll never love anyone else."

Tommy shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of gin. "Don't you think the two of you should just enjoy life while you can?"

"Both of us have changed since then, if there's any chance for us to be together, we need to get to know each other again."

"Tell that to Michael, I think he needs to be the one to hear it." Tommy scratched the back of his neck and looked away from her direction. "Don't be angry with him for agreeing to my offer. We've had a lot of pain, Michael included in that. He needs a bit of joy back in his life."

Alice could tell that Tommy was just trying to protect his cousin the only way he knew he could, but that didn't mean she liked it. She put her coat on and marched towards the office doors.

"I'll have that letter ready for you in the morning, Tommy." She slammed the door behind her and didn't look back; she needed to straighten things out with Michael, he did deserve to know how she felt about him but what Tommy tried to do, for her, that was out of line.

* * *

Polly sat on the edge of her seat, her hands clasped in front of her as she watched her grandchild in awe. She didn't expect Johnny to look so much like Michael but as she gazed at him, it felt like she had travelled back into a time before her own son was taken from her. Michael was lying on the floor beside him, playing with the toy soldiers his mother had bought for him. She didn't even notice when he looked up at her, her eyes were glued to the boy as she fell for his charm.

"She did a good job, didn't she mum?" he asked as he petted Johnny on the back.

"Alice is a good mother; he's clean, well fed and completely perfect."

Johnny looked up at Polly and frowned slightly when he saw a few tears race down her face. "Why are you sad?"

She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand and grinned at the boy. "I'm not sad, I'm so happy." She held her hands out to him and when he stood up and took them, she kissed the palm of his hand. "Do you know what I am to you?"

"You're my nanny." He said innocently.

"I am," she combed his hair with her fingers before resting her hand on his cheek, "your mother has told me so much about you, so has your father."

"You know my mumma?"

"Your mother and I work together."

When there was a knock at the door, Michael got up to answer it, pointing at his mother sternly. "No mention of the business, I told you that."

"I'm just explaining to Johnny…" she tried to defend herself, but she was met by another harsh glare.

As soon as he opened the door, Alice stormed into the house. When she looked at Johnny with Polly, some of her anger faded but not enough to stop her from doing what she came here to do.

"Alice, what're you doing here? You're not taking Johnny away already, are you?" Polly looked desperate as she watched the boy run over to hug his mother.

"No, I'm not." She picked him up and gave him a small smile. "Are you having fun?"

He nodded and pointed towards the toys on the floor. "Nanny Polly bought me toy soldiers."

"I hope you told her thank you."

"His manners are impeccable, he's nothing like the kids from around here." She placed a cigarette into her mouth and lit it with a match, turning her gaze back to Alice. "That's a good thing, by the way."

She nodded once and set Johnny down by his toys once more. "Thanks." She turned to Michael and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm here for you. We need to talk."

"Right, I'll take you into the kitchen." He led her through his mother's living room and closed the door behind them. When he looked at her, he already knew what she was here to talk about, she wasn't hiding her anger very well.

* * *

He already knew what she was going to say before she opened her mouth. Alice sat in front of him after laying her coat on the kitchen table, she didn't want to raise her voice at him, she couldn't have Johnny hear her. All the steps she had took in this city was for his benefit; if she was looking out for herself, she would've jumped into bed with Michael the night he walked her home but that would've meant he was sticking around for her and not their son. He had to be in this for Johnny.

"Why would you get Tommy to do something like that?" she was finally able to bring herself to look at his face; he just stared at her blankly with a cigarette between his fingers. "I was mortified when he got close to me, I don't even think mortified is the word, more like repulsed. What were you trying to find out? If I was easy? Would I sleep with any man that would show his interest?"

"No Alice, just calm down."

"Calm down? I'm aware that Tommy offered to carry out that act, but you agreed to it. I'm the mother of your child, Michael. Show me a bit of respect for Christ's sake."

He shook his head at her and took a long draw, flicking the ash at the end into a bowl. "I do respect you, I've told you and my mother and any other bastard that asks, that you have done an amazing job raising that boy by yourself. So, don't think for one moment that I don't respect you."

"Then tell me why you agreed when he offered to try to seduce me." She got out of her chair and leaned on the table, almost inches away from him.

"Because I needed to know if your feelings towards me had changed. I wanted to know if you still feel the same as I do." He got onto his feet and copied her stance, they were so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. "I love you, Alice."

She sank back into the chair and rested her hand on her chin. "There's been no one else but you, Michael." She watched as his image soften as she omitted her truth. "How could I love anyone else? No one compares to you." She sighed and pushed out a couple of creases in her skirt. "I just don't want to jeopardise your relationship with Johnny."

"What do you mean by that, Alice?"

"What if things don't work out between us?"

"I wouldn't walk away from that boy, he's my blood." He stepped around the table and dropped to his knees beside her, taking her hand gently. "What if things worked out between us? The three of us could be together under one roof." His teeth gripped his bottom lip as he turned her face towards him. "We could be content. I can give the two of you a good life."

"Money doesn't make a good life, Michael." Her voice came out as a whisper; he was playing to her heart, but her head was getting in the way of saying yes.

"I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about being a family. Let me take you out, we can get dinner or go dancing. I will show you that we are meant to be together. Just say yes."

She wiped away a single tear that escaped her eyes and nodded. Alice couldn't put all her energy into worrying about what could go wrong; she was going to have to let things take their course and see what the outcome would be.

* * *

When they emerged from the kitchen, Polly could sense that the air around them had changed; they weren't as tense as what they were when Alice first arrived in her home. She couldn't help but smirk to herself as she turned her attention back to Johnny. Alice kneeled beside her son and placed her hand on his back.

"Your father has asked me if it's okay for you to spend the night here with him and your nanny Pol. Would you like that?"

"Yes mumma, but won't you be lonely?"

Michael noticed how much care Johnny already had for his mother, he didn't care about staying and having fun, he cared more about her. He rested his weight against the wall and watched him with a sense of pride; he was sensitive and picked up on the slightest hint of emotion. He hoped that he would carry that into his adult life. It would keep him out of Peaky business.

"I have nanny Agnes to keep me company. I might take her out to look at the roses in the park." She smiled at him and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Now that she's getting better, I think she'd like that."

"Can I stay, nanny Pol?"

"Of course, my sweet boy." She held her arms out towards the boy and gave him a loving squeeze. "You don't ever need to ask me that."

Alice got onto her feet and looked towards Michael. "I'll bring his jammies round and his bear. He can't sleep without it being tucked in beside him."

He smiled comfortingly at her and nodded once. "I know Alice, don't worry about him, we'll take good care of him."

She stepped towards Johnny and placed a kiss on top of his head, whispering in his ear. "Be good for your father." When she went to move towards the door, Polly gripped her arm and looked up at her with her twinkling hazel eyes.

"Thank you, you've no idea how much I appreciate this."

"It's time for him to know his family, if you need me, I'm only a few streets away." Once she was out of Pol's grasp, she felt Michael's hand on the small of her back as he led her towards the door. She turned to face him once she was out on the street.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow after work, if your mother isn't feeling well enough to look after Johnny then my mother will. Are you still up for our night on the town?"

"As you said, I've got to give this a chance." When he placed a kiss on her cheek, she smiled and started to walk towards her home. "Good night, Michael."

* * *

The dusk was surprisingly calm and although the air was cool, both women enjoyed being out in the crisp chill. They walked slowly around the park, stopping at every rose bush in their path, arm in arm. Her mother had remained mostly quiet as Alice told her about Michael, she had confessed her feelings towards him and spoke highly about his treatment towards Johnny. Agnes was fairly pleased to hear that they were getting along, but she still didn't regret moving away from the village.

They sat on a bench and ate at the sandwiches Agnes had brought along with her. Now that she was more mobile than what she had been for the past month or two, she could actually prepare something to keep herself ticking over. She looked at Alice as she stared off into the distance.

"What's on your mind?"

She glanced at her mother and gave her a small smile. "Nothing, mother."

"Don't lie to me, you were always a terrible liar."

Alice rolled her eyes and turned in her place. "Michael and I have decided that we're going to try to work things out between us. He wants us to be a family."

"Is that what you want, my dear?" she reached across and placed her cold hand on her daughter's rosy cheek.

"As much as I've tried to over the years, I can't stop loving him. When we moved away from the village, it almost destroyed me; it would have if I didn't have Johnny to worry about."

"I wish I could've been more supportive, but I didn't want history to repeat itself."

"What do you mean by that?"

* * *

"Before I met your father, I had a child out of wedlock to a man that didn't care about me or our child. Now I don't want you to get angry at me for not telling you, your father and I agreed that it would be best if we didn't speak about it."

"Well why not? Father had Danny before you, so what difference would it have made?"

"Because I didn't raise the child, the baby girl that I had, I gave up for adoption. I made a decision that worked out better for her; I was nineteen with no family around me, I was living in Liverpool working on those fancy ships as a dishwasher and I could just about provide for myself. Seeing how you provided for Johnny and myself while I've been ill, giving that child away has been my deepest regret."

Alice wasn't angry with her mother, instead was sad for her. It helped her realise why her mother was so harsh when it came to her pregnancy; she didn't want her daughter to go through the same heartache she did. She held her mother in her arms and rested her head on hers.

"Do you know anything about her?"

"I know that she was adopted by a wealthy couple in Essex and that they named her Nora."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"Because I can't keep this secret any longer than I already have. My hold here is slipping out of my grasp, who knows how many more good days I'll have left? You need to know so that when I'm no longer with you, you can search for your sister." She pulled away from Alice and held her face in her hands, looking at her with such concern and seriousness. "You can't be stuck with Danny as the only family you have left. He's not good, he's a devil of a man. I want you to promise me that you'll try with Johnny's father and make a life for yourself. You should find Nora and build a relationship with her. I'm the only reason Danny hasn't come near you, he promised your father that he wouldn't bother me once he was gone. But when I die, he'll do what he wants."

Alice frowned at her mother and kissed the palm of her hand before she removed it from her face; if this was what her mother wanted, she would comply. She had no delusions about Danny, but he was family too, he was the last living connection she had to her father. She would accept most of her mother's wishes, but she wouldn't fully turn her back on her brother.

* * *

**A:N I've had over 1K reads on this story so far and I'm so pleased, next chapter, Michael and Alice are going to go for their date and take a step in the right direction but things will become harder for the two of them. What do you think of Agnes' secret? Should Alice look for her sister? Let me know what you think. Thank you so much for reading!**


	6. Chapter Six

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Six**

* * *

No matter how many times Alice protested, Agnes was willing to care for Johnny while her daughter fixed her relationship with her grandson's father. She didn't understand why Alice objected, she was feeling fine and it was for not even twenty-four hours. Once Johnny was in bed, Alice came down the stairs, putting on the only pair of earrings she owned; a pair of tiny, slightly damaged pearls. She was reassured when her mother smiled at her and waved her over.

"Now, I don't want you coming back telling me to expect another grandchild," she said warningly as she fixed the bottom of her daughter's dress.

"Oh, mother please." Alice rolled her eyes playfully and took one last glance at herself in the mirror.

"What you're doing, it's to repair what I damaged and to make sure that Johnny has a proper family." Agnes fixed the blanket over her legs and took out her knitting needles from the side of the chair. "I also think it would be appropriate for me to meet this Michael Gray."

"I'll bring him into the house to say hello before we head off." She watched her mother in the reflection with a slight frown. She knew that she was getting better, at least she appeared to be, but she was still concerned about leaving her for the night. "Are you sure you're alright to look after Johnny? Michael's mother said that she would take care of him."

Agnes held her hand up, not wanting to hear another word. "Save your concerns, the boy and I will be alright."

* * *

Before Alice could say anymore on the subject, Michael knocked the door lightly. She jogged into the hallway, closing the living room door behind her before she opened the front. He was wearing a fancy suit and had his hair slicked back nicely; she had to admit, she was impressed.

"You look beautiful." He said with a smirk as he placed a kiss onto her cheek.

"You clean up well, yourself."

"Are you ready to hit the road?"

"Before we go, my mother wants to meet you." When he raised a brow at her, she took his hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "She only wants to chat, she's not going to bite your head off."

"Are you sure about that?" he said with a slight smirk.

"Quite sure, she's not able for that anymore." She led him into the living room and cleared her throat. "Mother, this is Johnny's father."

"Michael, I can see the resemblance. I always thought that Johnny looked like your father, Alice. Now I see that I'm completely blind." She pushed herself out of the chair slowly and hobbled towards him, feeling one of her legs go stiff. "Yes, now that I'm up close to you, I recognise you. It's nice to see you again."

"Alice told me you're ill, I hope you don't mind looking after our boy while I steal your daughter for the night." He tried to sound light-hearted, but after learning about why he wasn't involved in Alice or Johnny's life, he didn't have the greatest opinion of Agnes.

"As I said to my daughter, I'm capable of looking after my grandson."

"We should be on our way, mother. Sit back down and make yourself comfortable." Alice led her back towards her chair, letting her frail mother lean on her for support. Once she was back in her chair with her blanket wrapped around her, Alice placed a kiss on top of her head and stood by Michael once more. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Have fun you two," she resumed her knitting and called out, "not too much fun, though."

* * *

The journey to London was long, but it gave the two of them an opportunity to learn more about each other. He glanced at her as she primped her hair and fixed her dress with a slight smile. He thought that she was so beautiful, and it was hard for him to take his eyes off her. He cleared his throat and looked back to the road.

"How are you finding Birmingham?"

"Johnny loves it here, he's fitting in so well."

"I didn't ask about Johnny, I want to know if you like being in Birmingham."

She didn't know how to respond; she had mixed feelings about the place and the only reason for wanting to stay was Michael. "I guess it's not the worst place in the world."

"It's a lot better than the village, that's for sure." He panicked for a moment, fearing that he gave away too much emotion as he scowled. "There's more places to go and better people…"

"I liked the village where we grew up, didn't you?" she looked at him, expecting him to agree but she was met by stoic silence. "Why did you hate it so much?"

"My memories there aren't the best." His grip tightened on the steering wheel and he shifted in his spot. "Too many bad things happened there and the only good memories I have are with you, but you leaving soured anything good I have left."

She bit on her bottom lip and turned her head towards the window. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have pressed on the matter."

He looked towards her once more and reached over to her, resting his hand on her knee. He turned his hand over for her to take it and when she did, he held it tight. "I don't blame you anymore. How could I when you were so honest with me? Look, I promise that I'll be more open to talking about the village when I'm not scared of losing you again."

She raised a brow at him before softening her gaze, he was battling something in his memories, it was apparent by the way he looked at her. "Why do you think you'll lose me?"

* * *

"It's my turn to be honest with you." He parked the car across the street from the club and turned in his seat to look at her head on. "I know how you feel about the kind of work that Tommy does, and before we go in here or before we commit to anything, I want to give you the opportunity to make a decision on me before you hear it from anyone else."

It felt like a knot was tightening in her stomach, she worried about what he was about to say but she nodded anyway; she had to know.

"I'm not as squeaky clean as I've been letting on to be. I haven't lied about working solely on legitimate business before you start to worry about Johnny getting dragged into things, but I have killed someone."

Her face dropped as she stared at him in disbelief. "Did Tommy make you do it?"

"Tommy doesn't make me do anything, I asked him if I could take the life and he let me."

"Why would you ask?"

"Because I was doing it to protect my family; the life I took was the man responsible for using Tommy's boy as a hostage. I would do anything to keep the people I care about safe."

Alice didn't like the fact that he had killed someone but the way she looked at it, the deed had to be done. She wasn't going to deny herself or Johnny a happy life because Michael chose to protect his kin, if anything it showed her that he was capable of looking after them.

The silence was killing him, and he couldn't read her face; the dread of pushing her away made his blood run cold. "Say something, Alice."

"You killing a man, it doesn't change how I feel about you." She slid closer to him and kissed his mouth softly. "You did what was right by your family."

He let out a relieved sigh and took her hand once more. "You still want to give us another chance?"

"Of course, I do."

* * *

She clung onto his arm as they stepped into the lively club, she had never saw anything like it before; women drinking by the bar unescorted, men and women dancing to the live jazz band and upper-class men partaking in everything that came with the partying lifestyle. If her mother had known where she was going, she wouldn't be so willing to let Alice go to London. As they walked through the club, people stopped to greet Michael and others stared at him, daring themselves to approach the couple. When they had found somewhere quiet to sit, she shrugged off her coat and joined him in a cigarette.

"Why are all these people talking to you? Do you know them?" she looked around at all the socialites and aristocrats, none of these people would've bothered with her when she lived in this city but now that she was with him, she could feel their eyes on her.

"The Peaky Blinders own this club. I guess they've never saw one of us in the flesh. They hear rumours and get excited." A waiter approached their table and set a bottle of fine whiskey and two glasses on the table. Michael stopped him and handed back the bottle. "Bring us champagne, the beautiful girl and I are celebrating."

The waiter looked between the two of them and nodded before taking the bottle and the glasses away. Alice smiled and rested her head on her hand. "What are we celebrating, Michael?"

"Second chances." Once the champagne arrived, he poured them each a glass and handed one towards her. "Do you like champagne?"

"I've never had it before." She admitted as she looked curiously at the expensive looking bottle.

"You'll like it," he placed his glass on hers as they exchanged a longing look, "to finding each other."

She took a sip from her glass and made a face. "It's very nice. If I could, I'd drink it more often."

"Luckily for you, we've a bottle to get through." He set down his glass and set his hand on hers. "Perhaps after a couple of glasses, you'll want to dance with me."

"You know how much I love to dance, I used to practice with you in the stables. I'll dance whenever you like." She took another sip and shrugged her shoulders. "Just say the word and we'll go."

* * *

He forgot how good she was at moving her body to the rhythm of the music, he was struggling to keep up with her. When he finally did get the swing of things, he twirled her under his arm and watched in delight as she laughed at grinned at him. This was how he remembered Alice, she loved having fun and was good at it. She was a little rusty at jiving, but he could hardly tell because every move she made looked planned. He was thankful for a slower song to play and once everyone started to wind down and grab their partners, he took her by the hand and pulled her closer to him, their bodies barely an inch away. Alice rested her head on his shoulder and swayed with him as he caught his breath again.

"I really needed this, a night off to remember how young I actually am." When he looked down at her, she continued, "I forgot that I'm much more than a mother and a daughter. You've made me realise that I'm desired and it's gave me a bit more confidence than what I had."

"You should've known that you were desired, by many more than just me and I'll bet my money on it. You just didn't grasp that people see you differently than how you see yourself."

Her eyes rolled up to meet his. "Tell me then, what do you see in me?"

"I see more than just your attractive face, I see how caring and thoughtful you are. That you're smart and love to have a good time. I know how amazing you are as a person, I hope you know that too."

She buried her face into his chest, her fingers gripping onto the fabric of his shirt. It had been a long time since anyone made her feel good about herself. "You're not just saying all of this to seduce me, are you Michael?"

When Alice looked up at him again, he raised a brow at her with a smirk. "No, I mean it. But what if I am trying to seduce you?"

"Well, it would be working." She lost her breath as he swept her up in a kiss, it was passionate and longing, she had never been kissed like that before. It made her tremble and when he broke away from their embrace, she wanted to kiss him again and again.

"It's getting late, we should probably go to the hotel." He draped his arm over her shoulders and led her back to their table, picking up the bottle of champagne and their coats before they left.

* * *

Their room was bigger than her home and it was better decorated. Alice had never experienced such decadence and if Michael was willing to gift her with that for one night, she wouldn't turn it down. The first thing she did after gawking at the room, was throw herself onto the comfortable bed. She hadn't slept on a proper mattress in years and she was amazed that there were no springs poking her in the back. Michael watched her from the other end of the room, he wanted to treat her, and it seemed to be exactly what she needed.

"You can come and sit with me, you know?" she said as she rolled onto her front. "I won't push you away."

"I know I can, but I just wanted to take in this view for a moment." He stepped towards the bed, taking his tailored jacket off his frame and draping it on the post of the bed. "Get some rest. You've had an exciting day and I'm sure you could do with the sleep."

She pushed herself up until she was kneeling and tilted her head at him. An early night was not how she imagined her night in the capital ending. Perhaps he was just tired himself, he showed plenty of interest in her back at the club.

"I'll go freshen up before I join you." She climbed off the bed and gave him a peck on the cheek before heading into the ensuite.

* * *

She leaned on the sink as she stared at her image in the mirror. She released the pin that kept her dark hair up high and unravelled it as it cascaded down her back. Once her heels were off her feet, she slipped out of her dress and left it on the floor. She wasn't dumb, she had a fair idea of what Michael wanted to achieve with this night out; she had to admit that she wanted it too. That's why she wore the nicest underwear she owned. With one last inspection in the mirror, she made her way back into the room, her eyes automatically turning towards the bed. But Michael wasn't in the bed, he had lit candles around the room and was at the gramophone, putting on a record. She leaned against the wooden doorframe and fell into the atmosphere he had created.

"I think you're the one that's trying to seduce me, Alice." He said as he looked her over, approving with what he saw.

"I thought you were going to try to sleep. I can see that I was wrong." She stepped away from the door and folded her arms across her almost exposed chest. "What is all this?"

He untangled her arms and embraced her, his hands cupping her face. "I wanted to show you how special you are. I wanted our first night together to be romantic."

"It's very romantic, you did good." She let out a playful squeal as Michael picked her up from the floor. Impulsively, she wrapped her legs and her arms around his body as if they had always been this close.

As he carried her towards the bed, she placed her lips on his; softly at first and once she was laid down on the bed, their caress became heated. Michael wanted to be gentle with her, she wasn't like those girls that made his acquaintance at the parties, but the way she pressed her body against his and pulled at his clothes; he knew straightaway how she wanted this to go down. He could only imagine how tense she was, she had admitted that he was the only one she was with. Five years of build up and he hoped that he could live up to her expectations of him. He took his shirt off and threw it onto the floor, looking down at her as he moved onto his trousers.

"Are you sure you want this?"

She nodded and pulled him towards her. Alice ran her fingers through his hair as he placed gentle kisses along her body. "I want you, more than anything."

* * *

When she woke up, she was pressed against Michael's back. Her arms were wrapped up in his as he slept soundly. She rested her head in between his shoulder blades before attempting to get out of bed without disturbing him. When she was free, she tiptoed into the ensuite and closed the door quietly. Her eyes fell onto the porcelain bath and as she waited for the warm water to fill it, she could only imagine how nice it would be compared to the steel bath she was used to. She dipped her toes in at first and once she was happy with the temperature, she lowered herself in; the aches and pains that she normally felt in her back and legs seemed to disappear. She closed her eyes and let herself fall into the lull of relaxation. She opened one of her eyes when she heard Michael get out of bed and when the door opened, she grinned at him.

"I see you found the bath." He sat on the edge and pecked on her forehead.

"I couldn't resist it. You could join me, there's plenty of room."

"No, enjoy it. Although, you could have more of these baths if you stayed with me at my home. You, me and Johnny every weekend. What do you think?"

"I'll let you know when we get back to Birmingham," she found it hard to relax now that the thought of her mother, alone and ill plagued her mind, "I want to see how mother coped without me before I agree to anything."

"I can wait on an answer, as long as you and Johnny are content, that's all that matters."

Michael being understanding was very astonishing; she knew how he felt about her mother and what he thought about her constant worrying of her; he thought that she should be living her life, not slaving away. His words took a load of pressure from her and that's what she needed; as her mother said, she wasn't going to be around forever, and Alice didn't want to be alone when she passes. He put her mind at ease, and he made her feel loved. Her mind was already made up, she wanted to spend the weekends with him and their son.

* * *

**A:N Sorry I haven't updated this as quickly as I have been but I didn't have my laptop and then I wasn't happy with the chapter and rewrote it. I hope you liked seeing Michael and Alice together by themselves, I've a lot more planned for them, good and bad. Thank you for all your support!**


	7. Chapter Seven

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Seven**

* * *

As they pulled up outside her house, Alice found herself not wanting to leave. Michael had shown her how life could be for the three of them and she craved it now that she had a taste. She placed a kiss on his lips, pulling him in closer as she gripped onto his duster coat. She rested her head on the seat and stared at him for a moment as he smirked at her; he knew how she was feeling, after spending an afternoon with her and their son having fun and doing something out of the ordinary, he didn't want to leave either. He wanted the life he was imagining now.

"Tell me that you love me again, I need to hear you say those words one more time." He said lowly.

"I love you Michael." She rubbed her thumb against his stubble and opened her door, stepping out onto the dreary Birmingham street. "I need to ask you a favour."

"Anything."

"I've got to be at Tommy's office in a couple of hours to prepare for a meeting. I don't want to leave Johnny with my mother any longer than I already have, I don't think it would be fair on her… She'll need her rest." She explained as she picked at the loose skin on her fingers anxiously. There was something about this upcoming meeting that gave her a bad feeling.

"I'll look after him, take him to the park for the afternoon."

"Thank you." She went to step away but paused, striding back to the car. "I think the three of us should start spending the weekends together."

He laughed a little and glanced at the people that walked past her. "Are you sure you're ready for that, you still don't seem too sure of yourself?"

"If we're going to make our relationship work then Johnny needs the time to get used to seeing us together again."

"This weekend then?"

She nodded and closed the door of the car. Alice didn't step into the house until Michael had driven away from the house. She had such a nice time with him in London that she missed him now that he wasn't by her side. She had to come back to earth, her son needed her, and work had to be done.

* * *

Alice was already gone by the time Michael got back to the house. He tipped his hat at Agnes as she answered the door and slid past her, looking towards the stairs as he caught a glimpse of Johnny running back and forth.

"You've got your work cut out for you today," she started, walking towards the living room, "he's hyper today."

Michael watched her sink into her armchair and bit his tongue; now that Alice wasn't here and Johnny was out of earshot, he wanted to tell Agnes exactly what he thought of her. But she would only tell Alice and ruin their chances of getting back together.

"It's probably just the excitement of going to the park that's got him like that." He said sternly as he rested his arm on top of the fireplace.

"That, and spending time with you." She glanced up at him. "He didn't stop talking about you all last night. Told me you got him a kite."

"I did. He liked the kite." He tapped on the imitation marble as the two of them fell into an awkward silence. He didn't know what to say to the woman, he didn't really want to say anything to her.

"I hope you and Alice had a nice time together last night, I gave her my blessing. I don't regret what I did but she's old enough to know what Johnny needs now."

He was about to say something when Johnny burst into the room, running towards his father with a grin. Michael picked him up and gave him a bearhug with a laugh.

"You ready to go, Johnny?"

"Where are we going, dad?" he looked at him with such childish enthusiasm that it was almost infectious.

"Didn't your mother tell you? I'm taking you to the park."

"I'll go get my coat." He kicked his legs until he was on the floor and as soon as his feet touched the floor, he ran out into the hallway, calling out, "See you later, nanny."

"Have fun, Johnny boy." She turned her attention to Michael as he followed him into the corridor. "Take care of him."

It seemed as if she was trying to make him seem inadequate and he told himself not get angry but that didn't work. He detested Agnes and there was very little that would ever reverse his feelings.

* * *

The office was eerily quiet as she set up Tommy's ledgers and booze for the meeting; she was aware that this meeting with Mr Tweedy was important, but she didn't know why he needed a dock to export from. That man kept everything a mystery, with her previous employers, even though she was only working with them for a short time, she knew everything that was going on; when they would show up for work, who they were calling and most importantly, what deals they were doing. Alice was completely and utterly in the dark with Tommy.

With one last look over the room, she was pleased with the work she did, now all she had to do was sit and wait for her boss to show up. It was going to be the first time she saw him after he tried to lure her into a trap and although she hadn't completely forgiven him, she was going to treat him with the same respect she had always shown him; he didn't have the best morals, but he kept Johnny fed.

"Good afternoon Alice," he said in his raspy tone as he shook his coat from his shoulders, "you've tidied up the place."

"Well, I didn't want Mr Tweedy coming here and being unimpressed. I've also left the dossier on your desk, just in case you want to take one last look at it before the meeting."

"No need, I read over your work last night." He sat at his desk and took his cigarettes from his top pocket, watching her as she lifted her coat from the back of her chair. "I have one more thing to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"I think you should stay for this meeting; your brother is the reason Mr Tweedy left Liverpool after all and I think it would be reassuring to have a Finlay sitting in the room."

"Tommy, I haven't spoke to Danny in years. I'm not going to be any use…"

"He doesn't know that, all I want you to do is tell him that he has no reason to worry about Danny's boys coming for him."

"You want me to lie to him?"

"You know how to lie don't you?" he raised a brow at her and lit his cigarette, pointing at her expectantly.

"Of course, doesn't mean that I feel comfortable about it." She fixed the cardigan around her frame and folded her arms across her chest. Alice liked to think of herself as an honest woman, at least she tried to be.

"It's just one lie, it's not going to do any harm."

Grudgingly, she nodded and let out a sigh. "I'll do it."

"One lie, it's not like I'm asking you to kill a man." His tone was a little cooler as he stood up. They both turned when they heard a car stop outside the building. "That'll be him, show him in."

* * *

Mr William Tweedy was a stocky, fat man that dressed like a man who had too much money and not enough sense. He had this thin little moustache that didn't complement his red, bulbus nose. Alice tried her best not to look at it as she escorted him into Tommy's office. He was a repulsive man.

"Mr Shelby," he hadn't lost his Liverpool accent and as he shook Tommy's hand, Alice could tell that he was being a little rough, "I've heard plenty about you."

"And I, you. I'm glad you accepted my invitation."

"Well, I couldn't have the Peaky Blinders at war with me, wouldn't be good for business."

"No, it wouldn't." he waved for Alice to pour them a glass of whiskey and waited for Tweedy to take a sip. "I'm sure you're aware that you'll be paid well for one shipment."

"I know that you usually ship from London, what's changed?" It was obvious that Tweedy as well had done his homework.

"This shipment needs to go undetected. I know that in the short time you've been in Ayr that you've managed to strike a deal with the police; they don't check your shipments and you pay them handsomely." Tommy took a drink and set his glass down. "You're a bit like myself in those regards."

"And what is this shipment going to contain?"

"It's irrelevant."

"Not entirely, I know everything that goes onto my shipments. I'm not going to risk my exporting license on a Peaky boy."

Tommy could feel Alice's eyes on the back of his head as he rolled his cigarette between his fingertips. He took a long draw and said, "Machine guns and rifles."

Alice tried her best to remain silent, but she wanted to jump up and smack Tommy as hard as she could. He didn't tell her that he was shipping off guns.

"Where are they headed?"

"New York, an associate will pick them up and transport them to Pittsburgh."

Tweedy leaned back into his chair, resting his clasped hands on his bulging belly. "What's in it for me?"

"Three thousand pounds."

"Four thousand."

"It's only one shipment." Tommy reminded.

"One shipment that can cost me my livelihood."

"Fine, four thousand."

"There's one more thing that worries me about this shipment of yours. I'm sure that you're aware of the problem I've been having with Danny Finlay and his gypsy tribe."

"I know the basics."

"I left Liverpool to get away from that bastard but now he's making threats, claiming that he'll take Ayr too. I want him dealt with." He looked at the gold rings that lined his knuckles, peeking at Tommy with an expecting look. "Can you manage that?"

"Danny Finlay is no longer a threat to you." He waved his hand at Alice and looked at her over his shoulder. "My secretary is Alice Finlay, Danny's sister."

Tweedy turned his attention to the dark-haired woman and made a face; she couldn't tell if it was a slight hint fear showing or if he was impressed. "A sister, how on earth did you get his sister to work for you?"

"That's my secret, couldn't have you stealing her from me," he looked at her sincerely and she took it as his way of apologising to her; that's what she thought anyway, "she's the best secretary I've had."

"Can you assure me…"

"Alice." She said as he paused.

"Alice, that Danny will stand down?"

"I promise you that no harm will come by our tribe's hands." She looked him straight in the eye and felt the twang of guilt race through her chest. She must have been a good liar, he ate it up.

"Then we have a deal, Mr Shelby." He reached for his glass with a struggle and downed it in one. "When will this shipment be taking place?"

"March."

"See you both in four months then." He looked between Tommy and Alice with a slight bow. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you." He strode towards the door and called out. "By the way, I'll take my money in a cheque."

* * *

They had spent hours running around the park making fools out of themselves and now that the winter sun was starting to set and the street lights were being switched on, Michael thought that it would be appropriate to feed Johnny before he took him home. They walked towards Polly's house, both of them in glee; Michael watching his son with a proud grin as he skipped along the cobbled paths. With every moment that he spent with the boy, he could feel his heart burst with joy.

Polly was startled when the two of them burst into her house but as soon as she saw her grandson, she placed her hand on her chest and raised a brow at them both. They looked freezing, their cheeks rosy and both went straight to her lit fireplace.

"And what on earth were the two of you doing out in the cold?" she complained as she moved into the kitchen to make some tea.

"We were in the park nanny Polly."

"The park? I'm sure you and your father had fun." She popped her head around the doorframe and watched Michael as he made himself comfortable. "Are you hungry?"

"We wouldn't turn down a hot meal."

She nodded and went back into the kitchen. "Where's Alice?"

"Tommy had a meeting, she needed to set up." He explained as he pulled Johnny onto his lap. The boy draped his legs over Michael's and rested his head on his chest. He looked tired and Michael wasn't surprised; all he did was run.

"Do you know what type of meeting?"

"No mention of work remember." he reminded her as he ran his fingertips across Johnny's forehead, scooping his hair out of his eyes.

"You don't have to say anything other than yes or no."

"Tommy keeps me in the dark just as much as everyone else."

She brought in a cup of tea for Michael and Johnny, setting it on the table in front of him. "You know what he's like, I think he'll only tell us when he's in trouble."

He reached forward for his cup slowly, making sure Johnny was comfortable as he moved. He took a sip of the warm tea and tilted his head slightly. "Do you really expect him to change?"

"No, he's stubborn like his mother." She looked down at Johnny as his eyes started to close over. "I'll get this dinner started while he naps."

Michael followed Polly's eyes down to his sleeping son and smirked. "Should I let him sleep?"

"Only for a little bit, we don't want Alice up half the night with him. You'll know all about that soon enough."

"We can all hope."

* * *

"What the hell was that, Tommy?" she nearly shouted but she kept her fury under control. "You didn't tell me that you were shipping off guns!"

"And you wouldn't have known if he hadn't had asked."

"You're unbelievable." She shook her head and grabbed her coat.

"Don't be telling Michael about the dealings of this meeting, you're the only one that knows about the guns."

"Is this another test?" she put her coat on and aggressively fixed it.

"No, but I can't have him getting involved in illegitimate business."

Alice could tell that Tommy had some care for his cousin, she didn't know if he had always been this way or because Michael had a son now, but she didn't feel great about being dragged into this messy situation herself; it's what she signed up for though. She knew who he was and what he did before she went to the interview.

"The only reason I'm dragging you into this, is because of what your brother's done to Tweedy; he needed reassurance." He continued, he needed to keep her level headed. He wanted to trust her.

"I won't mention anything to him," she sat down in front of him again and leaned on the desk as she inspected Tommy's eyes, "but I must ask, or it'll drive me mad. If you don't want anyone involved in your illegitimate business, why do you do it?"

"Because I get mixed up with the wrong people and I like to keep the money flowing." He didn't know why he was opening up to her, perhaps it was because he felt like he owed her after the test. Or maybe it was because he liked her, and he didn't want her to quit.

"You're in Parliament and you've made plenty of money over the years. I'm sure your pockets won't be going empty any time soon." She said softly, she could tell by his eyes that there was pain hidden behind them. Alice was the kind of person that cared for everyone she crossed paths with, even if she was angry with them. She couldn't help herself.

"I like to stay busy," he pointed at his head and finished off his whiskey, "keeps my mind clear."

"Then ride your horses or take your kids to the museum, don't risk your life over a couple of guns. You know that things could go south quite quickly, don't you?"

"They always do, but we Shelbys always survive. You'll learn that the longer you stay."

"Nobody lives forever." She reminded him as she stood up again. "You need to be careful and I'm not trying to be patronising, I'm only saying this because I care about your family."

He nodded and shrugged his shoulders. "I know."

"Goodnight Tommy."

"Alice, we're going to the Garrison tonight to celebrate Michael coming home, why don't you come once Johnny falls asleep?"

"I'll think about it, I've been spending so much time away from Johnny that I think I'd rather stay at home."

"We'll be there all night and I know that Michael would love to have you there."

She didn't know why he was trying to convince her to go out but then she remembered how she felt last night in London; she had spent nearly six years stressing and worrying about everyone else. It was time for her to look after herself and do the things she didn't have the chance to do.

"If Johnny goes down easy, I'll consider it." She opened the door and gave Tommy a tiny smile. "Thanks for the offer."

"You're family now, ain't you? Well, nearly if Michael gets his way."

* * *

When Michael stepped into the Garrison, the Shelby family and the other Peaky Blinders were already waiting for him, drinks spread out around the table and high energy filling the pub. He removed the hat from his head and grabbed the drink from Arthur as he shoved it in his face.

"There you go, that'll loosen you up a bit!" he exclaimed sloppily. He had already had a few pints.

"What is all this about? I thought we were having quiet drinks?" he inspected the liquid in the glass before taking a couple of mouthfuls.

"Do we ever have quiet drinks?" Arthur sat back in his chair and gripped onto Finn, shaking him about as he ruffled his hair. "We're all excited to have you back, even Finn's allowed out for a drink."

He lowered himself into the chair and looked at Tommy as he gave him a reserved nod. For a fleeting moment, Michael could tell that something was going on with Tommy, but his mood changed quickly when he got onto his feet, holding his glass in the air.

"A toast to Michael, he went to a strange country because I told him to, and he brought us back a whole load of money. Legitimate money. Since he's been back, our books are looking spick and span and he's grown a lot over the past couple of weeks," Tommy looked around his family and friends with a raised brow, "most of us know what it's like to be a father but I haven't saw any one of us adapt to that new position as quickly as you have. We're proud of you, cousin."

Michael tipped his glass towards Tommy and joined in the toast; he wasn't expecting those kinds of words from him, but he had been drinking before he arrived and since his daughter was born, he was softer; he had to be softer for Ruby. Roughhousing and violence wasn't the kind of world he wanted her to grow up in. Loving a daughter was different from loving a son, with a son you wanted to be a role model but with a daughter, you wanted her to be nothing like yourself.

Arthur broke up the silence by banging his hands on the table. "Now that that's out of the way, let's fucking party."

"Couldn't agree with you more, Arthur. We've a lot to celebrate." Tommy replied as he waved his hand for another round.

Minutes melted into hours but none of them seemed to notice as the drinks continued to flow, and their conversations became senseless drabble. Arthur did most of the talking as the others snickered at his stories, they were enjoying themselves that much that no one noticed Alice entering the Garrison until she was steps away from the table. Tommy nudged Michael and watched his expression from the corner of his eye; he was pleased to see her. Michael staggered drunkenly towards her, allowing himself to collapse into her arms. She held him up and perked her brow into an arch.

"Seems like you've all had a good night."

"What're you doing here? Not that I'm not glad to see you…"

"Tommy invited me, it is a party celebrating you after all." He continued to stare at her, a goofy looking grin on his face. "You going to get me a drink?"

"Of course," he pulled a chair over from an empty table and placed it in between himself and Tommy, "whiskey okay?"

She nodded and shrugged her coat from her shoulders, draping it over the chair. "It's better than nothing."

Tommy pulled the stopper out of the bottle and poured her a glass, pushing it towards her. "Drink up, you've a lot of catching up to do."

"You came at the right time too, Arthur was about to tell another one of his stories." Michael added as he shot a look over at his eldest cousin.

"I don't think Alice wants to hear any of my stories." He seemed to catch a bit of sense as she sat at the same table as the men.

"Why do you think that? If I'm going to be part of this business and this family, I should know your stories." She dared him to speak as she took a slow sip of the rough whiskey. She was surprised by how well she was fitting in with the Shelbys; if anyone had of asked her a month ago if she considered them to be friends, she would've laughed in their face. Her opinions were starting to change. Birmingham was changing her.

* * *

**A:N I wanted to get this chapter out quicker because the last one took a long time to perfect. Do you think this deal with Tweedy will do well and why is Tommy shipping guns over to America? I'm going to introduce Danny into the story soon and he's going to make life difficult for Alice and the Shelby clan. Thank you for all your support!**


	8. Chapter Eight

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Eight **

* * *

When she woke up, she had no idea where she was. She rubbed her eyes with the backs of her hands and realised she was in her bedroom and Michael was snoring beside her. Memories of the night before started flooding her mind; the stories that the Shelby brothers told her about Michael, dancing on the tables and stumbling home with him. Alice looked down at herself and slipped a night dress onto her frame before she got up to wake Michael but before she could even get the chance, Johnny burst into her room, full of energy.

"Mumma, I'm hungry!" he stepped into the room and tried to look around her as she held him by the shoulders.

"Go downstairs sweetheart, I'll make you some breakfast." It was hard to usher him out, he was so inquisitive, and he knew that someone was in her bed.

"Is that dad? Why is dad in your bed, mumma?"

"Johnny, please go downstairs and wake your nanny." She pushed him out of her room and closed the door, leaning against it as she stared up at the roof. Michael being here made things more complicated for their son. This wasn't how she wanted things to go.

"Alice?" he mumbled as he rolled onto his other side. He could barely lift his head without feeling like he was going to be sick all over the room.

"You need to get up, Johnny's saw you here." She went over to him, crouching down by his face. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit." He sat up slowly and planted his face into his hands. "What did you tell him?"

"Nothing yet, I've no idea what to say to him."

"Tell him that we're just working on being a family. It's the truth like." He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and reached for his trousers. "I'll speak to him before I go so you don't have to."

"Why don't you stay for breakfast, he already knows that you're here. It won't be a shock." She rested her hands on his knees and looked up at his pale and pasty face.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to eat anything." He put on his shirt and struggled to do up the buttons. He smiled every so slightly as she helped him. "I got myself into such a state last night."

"At least you didn't embarrass yourself. Your family probably thinks I'm daft."

He watched her as she threw a cardigan over her nightie and pushed himself onto his feet. "No, they loved you. It's been a while since any of us have been so carefree," he touched her face briefly and stepped into his shoes, "we needed to remember what it was like and you showed us."

"I'm not usually like that," she could feel her cheeks flush as she thought about the way they laughed and cheered at her, "I'll apologise to them, right away."

"Now, now you sound daft." He kissed her gently on the top of the head and nodded towards the door. "Go make breakfast, I'll keep Johnny entertained."

* * *

It was hard to lie on the floor when he was so hungover, any way he relaxed made the contents of his stomach gurgle and he tried his best to hold it in. He kept his mind off the sick feeling by watching Johnny as he played with the soldiers his nanny Pol bought him.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Johnny?"

"Why are you here? Why were you in mumma's bed?" he glanced up at him, the confusion dripping from him.

"Your mother and I are trying to be a family, we want to be together again. Would you like that?"

"Would it mean that I get to live at your house in the country?" the excitement of that thought filled his eyes; he loved his father's house, the garden and all the fancy foods fascinated him.

"If that's what you wanted," he stroked his son's head and let his eyes roam his face, "do you want your mother and I to get back together?" when Johnny nodded, he tilted his head. "Can I ask you why?"

Johnny seemed to stiffen up and lost interest in his toys. He didn't feel like answering any more of his father's questions.

"What's wrong Johnny, you can tell me." He pulled the boy over to him, letting him bury himself into his body even though it made his unsettled stomach worse. "What's going on?"

He traced circles on his father's stomach, staring at his own finger as it went around and round. "There's a boy at school that picks on me."

"Have you told your mother?" when he shook his head, Michael furrowed his brows. "Why not?"

"Because it would only make mumma worse. I used to hear her crying in her room when she thinks I'm sleeping."

Michael let out a deep breath and sat up, bringing Johnny onto his lap. He stared down at his son's face, cupping his head in his hands. "Johnny, why is this boy picking on you?"

"He says that I'm a bastard because I don't have a dad. I told him that I do, and he laughed at me." Tears started to well up in his eyes and he threw his head back into Michael's chest.

He could feel the anger bubbling inside of him, and he was struggling to control it; he had to for Johnny's sake. "What's this boy's name, Johnny?"

"I don't want to tell you."

"Okay, I won't make you." He stood up and kept Johnny in his arms, he was clinging to him so tightly. "Why don't we go see if your mother has breakfast ready and then I'll take you to my house? Will that make you feel better?"

He nodded and wiped his runny nose on the back of his arm. "Can we fly the kite again?"

"We'll do whatever you want to do."

* * *

With Agnes at the table, things felt a little awkward between Michael and Alice as her mother tried to find out more information about their relationship. After hearing what was going on at his son's school, Michael wasn't in a talkative mood. He barely touched the food Alice had made.

"So, you and Johnny are going to spend the weekend at Michael's house?" she kept her eyes on her daughter as she picked through her food.

"We talked about this, Johnny loves it there and I hate being away from him." She watched Agnes from the corner of her eye. "If you're not feeling well today, I'll stay here with you."

Michael let out a sigh and fidgeted in his chair, clearly disagreeing with what Alice was offering.

"No, my love." Agnes placed her hand over Alice's and ignored Michael as best as she could. "The two of you need to work on your relationship, even though you did plenty of making up last night."

"Mother," Alice warned as she looked towards Johnny. She could tell that there was something wrong with him because he wasn't his normal, talkative self, "Michael and I want to make this work for Johnny's sake."

"Well, I'm fine with you spending the weekend there. The painkillers are working, and I can go to church for the first time in years. The three of you go to the country, I'll be fine by myself."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Alice." She reassured her with a nod and got out of her chair slowly. "I'll clean all this up, go pack yourself and Johnny a bag."

"Johnny, why don't you help your nanny while I speak with your mother?" Michael finally spoke, his tone was soft even though Alice noticed that his hands were shaking.

"Okay dad." He picked up a couple of plates and accompanied his grandmother to the sink.

* * *

Alice followed him up to her room and stayed in the corner, watching him with her hand over her mouth. She had no idea why he wanted to speak with her privately, she assumed it had something to do with what her mother had said downstairs, Alice knew exactly how much Michael disliked her.

"Has Johnny been acting any different lately?" he asked as he brought his eyes up to hers.

"Not really, he's been a little quiet over the past couple of days… Why?"

"He told me that there's a boy at school who's bullying him. Wouldn't tell me a name." he lit a cigarette to calm him down, but it wouldn't work.

She slid down the wall and shook her head, how could she not have known? Alice felt so guilty, she had been spending so much time at work or with Michael that Johnny didn't really have the chance to tell her. She felt like a bad mother.

"I'll speak with him before we leave." She said quietly.

"I know that you're sitting there, blaming yourself but this isn't your fault." He paused as he inhaled the smoke, letting it sit in his chest for a second. "I want the kids name."

Alice knew exactly what Michael was going to do once he got the name and she was that angry herself that she didn't even care about what he was going to do. The more time she had spent around Michael and the Shelbys, the more she was turning into one of them; the violence and bloodshed didn't seem to bother her as much as it used to. She could turn a blind eye to it all because she fell for Michael all over again.

"I'll get you a name."

"Johnny's going to be okay." Michael promised.

She rolled her eyes up to his, staring at him blankly. "Just do what you've got to do."

* * *

As Johnny picked his clothes out of his dresser, Alice packed them into his bag. She couldn't take her eyes off him and she wondered how another little boy could be cruel to him, Johnny was pleasant and tried to be everyone's friend. His teacher always told her how good he was, most of the time. It baffled her. She pulled him over to her, fixing and picking at his clothes.

"I spoke to your father about what you told him. Do you want to talk to me about it?" he hesitantly nodded and placed his hands on her shoulders. "How long has this boy been bullying you?"

"A week."

"Does he call you names? Has he hit you?" when he shook his head, she tucked some his hair behind his ear. "It's because of me, isn't it?"

"Me and you."

"Okay, well I need to know who this boy is because he's not allowed to make fun of you anymore. Will you tell me his name, please?"

"Robert Millar." His voice was barely audible, but Alice picked it up crystal clear.

"Thank you for telling me, you brave boy." She hugged him tightly and looked towards his bedroom door where Michael was waiting impatiently. "Will you finish packing your bag for me, you can bring whatever toys you want."

He went over to his toy box and dug through it for his favourite things. She watched him as she stepped into the hallway, leaning on the bannister beside Michael. He was so tense, like a brick wall.

"Did he tell you?"

"The boy's called Robert Millar. I know his dad, I've met him at the school. He's Edward Millar and he lives a few streets away."

Michael nodded and buttoned up his blazer. "Right, I'll be back to pick the two of you up in an hour." He stormed down the stairs and left the house, taking to the streets like a pit-bull. No one messed with his family.

* * *

He knew that the Millar's were home, he could see them moving around their living room from the window. He flicked his cigarette away and marched across the street, pounding his fist against their door like he was going to put it through. Edward Millar was the one to answer the door and he almost shit himself when he realised who he was gawking at.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

"Yeah, you're Michael Gray. What does the Peaky Blinders want with me? I'm just a baker." His voice was shaky, he was petrified of the Peakys.

"Your boy, Robert has been picking on mine." Michael turned to him, his eyes penetrating him like a knife.

"Your boy?"

"Johnny Finlay."

Edward knew that boy and he thought back to all the things he said about him in front of his son; Edward and his wife were very religious, and they disagreed strongly with Alice raising that boy by herself. Now he regretted ever opening his mouth.

"I'll have Robert apologise to Johnny." He went to close the door, but it was stopped by Michael's foot.

"I think you know that, that's not really good enough." He reached through the gap and gripped the man by the collar of his shirt and forced his way into the house, kicking the front door shut behind him.

The marks he was going to leave on his face would be enough to make an example, he didn't need the whole of Birmingham to see what he was going to do to this man.

* * *

Once Johnny was in the car, on his way out of the city, the dark spell that was over him seemed to have lifted; he was too busy looking at all the cows in the pasture to notice the blood on Michael's knuckles. But Alice saw it and now that her anger had passed, she started to feel guilty about letting Michael carry out his justice. When he glanced at her, she looked away from his hand and up to his face, smiling at him comfortingly; she didn't know if he was still as furious as he was this morning.

"Are you okay?" he asked when he stared back out the front.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me." She leaned over to Johnny and placed her head on top of his, taking in the scent of his head; Alice could swear that he still had his baby smell.

"Do you want to talk about what I did? Is that what's bothering you?"

"I don't want to know the details, I know what Edward got by the state of your hand."

Her comment made him notice the drops of blood on his skin and when he wiped it off on his trousers, he clenched his jaw. "That boy won't be picking on our son anymore."

Alice wasn't sure if she liked this side of Michael, how could she? This version of him was violent and irrational but, this was the side of him that was going to keep Johnny safe and over time, she knew she could tolerate it for the safety of her child.

"I don't want anyone to hurt him, ever." She turned to him and nodded at him knowingly. "Do you understand?"

He slipped his hand into hers, keeping his eyes ahead of him. "Crystal clear."

* * *

While the boys played together, Alice unpacked her belongings into Michael's room, hanging up the few dresses that she had. As she sat on the bed, her legs crossed and her hands keeping her upright, she looked around his bedroom and noticed how dull and dark it was; she thought her room was miserable but his was just as bad. If she had of decorated this room, it would be bright and crisp. She was getting ahead of herself, conjuring up ideas that would take a long time to be executed. He hadn't asked her to move in with him, it was far too soon. Didn't stop her from dreaming about it though.

Once she had enough of his room, she moved into the room next door and grinned when she saw the work, he had put into it for their son. His bedroom was painted in a baby blue colour and stuffed bears waited for Johnny on the shelves. When she peered into the wardrobe, new clothes and shoes that didn't have holes in them, were waiting for him. She had to admit, she was impressed with Michael; he did say that he would have a room waiting for him and he went above and beyond her expectations. She stepped over to the window and looked down at the two of them as they played with the kite, both laughing and letting go of the trauma that occurred this morning. She had to go out to them, she couldn't watch from the side lines.

* * *

"What do you think of his room?" Michael asked as he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her against his side. He kept his eyes on Johnny as he ran around the garden, his mouth creasing into a smile.

"It's perfect. He'll love it." She set her hand on his chest and let her eyes follow the boy back and forth. "He's loving that kite. If I had of known that he'd like it so much, I would've bought him one."

"It's hard to fly a kite in the city, too many chimneys for it to get stuck on."

"I suppose so." She looked up at him when she felt his fingers slip up and down her side.

"I've got a surprise for you too."

"I hate surprises."

"You'll like this one."

"Tell me what it is then, and I'll be the judge." She perked her brow at him which made him smirk.

"Remember how you loved the bath at the hotel in London?"

"I remember."

"I got one fitted for you. I did tell you that if you stayed every weekend, you could have a bath like that whenever you wanted."

"Michael, you didn't have to do that for me. I'm not here because of a bath, I'm here because of you and Johnny."

"I know, but I wanted to be good to you."

She reached up and touched his face, the heat of his skin contrasted with her deathly cold hands. "You've been nothing but good to me. I don't expect anything from you."

"That's why I wanted to get you one thing that was for you." Their moment was interrupted by the small drops of rain that fell onto their faces. "Come on Johnny, let's get in before we get soaked."

He watched Johnny drop the kite and as he held his arm out towards his son, he clung to his side. The three of them stepped back into the house, both under his arm. They felt safe and he didn't feel as lonely as he used to. He could get used to having a family under this roof instead of himself and a few maids. This was what he wanted.

* * *

**A:N The next chapter is going to be a lot longer than any of the other chapters because I have a lot of things planned for Alice and Michael; their relationship will change and the three of them are going to become more like a family. Also, did Michael do the right thing when it came to the Millars? How are things going to change for Alice and Johnny now that they're associated with the Peaky Blinders? Let me know what you think, thank you for all the favourites/follows/reviews and we've had over 2K reads on this story! Thank you so much for reading this story.**


	9. Chapter Nine

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Nine**

* * *

_One month later…_

Life seemed too good to be true, Sunday mornings didn't consist of dragging Johnny to the church with her mother nagging in her ear about her aches and pains. Now, they enjoyed breakfast together as a family and then enjoyed the rest of their time together in front of the fire, Alice reading a book to Johnny as Michael watched over them like a guardian. It was much more bittersweet for them to leave on a Sunday evening because none of them wanted to be apart; but weekends always ended. At least things were starting to get better for Johnny at school so he didn't dread being dragged back to Birmingham, and he knew that his father would be there every morning to walk him there.

She closed over the book and peered down at Johnny, he had fallen asleep and it surprised her; he never slept in the afternoons. Her hand slapped at Michael's chest and when she heard him chuckle under his breath, she whispered, "At least we know he had lots of fun with us."

"I think he's just sleeping off all that food he ate."

"He did stuff himself, didn't he? You probably think that I don't feed him during the week." She twisted her head around to look up at him, a placid smirk on her face. Like her son, she was starting to feel the fatigue that came along with their weekends away from the city.

"I know you feed him, whether or not he likes it better than my cook's cooking, I'll let you decide that one for yourself." He teased as he leaned down, kissing her softly.

"There's nothing wrong with my cooking." She tried to defend herself, there was only so much she could do with eggs, bread and milk.

"Of course, but I can see that he's not the only one enjoying the food here. You're starting to look healthy again, like the Alice that could throw a bale of hay on her shoulder and think nothing of it."

She rolled her eyes and ran her fingers carefully through Johnny's hair as he used her stomach as a pillow. "If I keep eating the way I am, you'll have to roll me into Tommy's office."

"You talk so much nonsense, Alice."

"I partly blame you for my eating habits, you always have me starving by the end of the night." She gazed up at him with a playful look and a happy grin on her face.

"I guess that's just the bad parts of staying with me." He caressed her cheek as he teased her before looking down again at Johnny. "I'll pack up some of his things so that when he wakes up, we can hit the road."

"Maybe it would be better for him if we got him into the car while he's sleeping? It would save us from battling him."

He moved himself out from under her, trying his best not to disturb Johnny. "I'll be quick, just keep him as peaceful as you can."

"I'll try my best."

He walked towards the staircase and looked over his shoulder at his family, she had repositioned Johnny so that she could cradle him, gently rocking him back and forth so that he stayed as docile as possible. He hated Sundays just as much as Johnny did, he just wanted them to stay but he couldn't ask, Alice wouldn't accept it.

* * *

Johnny didn't fuss as much as he usually did when he woke up and realised, he was back in Birmingham. Alice pulled him close to her side as she rested her head on Michael's shoulder. Something was wrong, she could feel it in her gut. All Alice wanted to do was tell Michael to turn around and drive back to the country to avoid whatever was waiting for her, but he was already approaching her home. She looked up at him and lifted her head.

"Johnny, will you help your dad get the bags?" she touched the top of his head and nodded towards the car door.

"Okay mumma." He complied as he jumped out of the car.

"Something's not right." She mumbled as she followed her son out onto the street. She turned to Michael and took her keys from her pocket. "Keep Johnny out here."

"What's wrong?"

"I don't know, I just have this feeling." She remembered having this feeling before, it felt like a cold shiver that started in her core and travelled throughout her body. It kept her numb.

He watched her from his seat as she unlocked the door and stepped into the house; he knew that Alice had some sort of gypsy connection to the spirits, but he didn't understand it as well as Pol did. All he knew was, when she said she had a feeling, he knew that something bad was going to happen.

* * *

The house was freezing when she walked in and when she didn't hear her mother return the call of her name, Alice dreaded the worse. As she opened the living room door, she noticed that the fire looked like it had been out for hours and when her eyes roamed to the settee, she saw her mother lying there in what looked like a deep slumber, but she wasn't sleeping. She crouched down beside her and looked at the note that her mother was clutching and pried it out from her stiff fingers. She was too upset to read her words, but she couldn't cry until Johnny was sorted out; she didn't want his last memories of his grandmother to be her lifeless body, it had to be that kiss she gave him on his forehead before he left to have a fun weekend.

The wind made her tremble as she stood at the front door, watching Michael and Johnny mess around with their bags. Neither noticed that she was standing there until she cleared her throat loudly. Michael could tell instantly that her feeling was right, and he didn't even need her to tell him what was wrong; there was only one thing it could be.

"Johnny, how would you like to spend the night with your dad at nanny Pol's?"

"The whole night?" he said as he jumped up and down excitedly.

"The whole night, I'm sure nanny Pol will keep you entertained." She looked at Michael, finding some comfort as he nodded his head at her. At least she knew that Johnny would be well looked after.

"Come on, Johnny. It's too cold to be messing around on the street." He fixed his son's coat and took his hand. They stepped over to Alice and he watched sympathetically as she embraced Johnny. When it was his turn, he put his arm around her and whispered in her ear. "Once my mum has him settled, I'll be round to check on you."

"Okay." She replied and scuttled into the house, shutting the door fast.

"What's wrong with mumma?" Johnny could pick up on her emotions better than anyone could; he was able to read her better than the books she read to him.

"She's just not feeling like herself today, son." He didn't know what else to say to him, if he said too much about what was happening, Alice might get angry at him. It was best if he left her to tell him; she always knew the right things to say.

* * *

She stared down at her mother's corpse with a frown and crouched down beside her, placing her hand on her mother's head, stroking at her wispy grey hair; a single tear rolling down her cheek. It was hard enough losing her father but back then she had her mother to comfort her, she was going to have to mourn this death alone. Alice sniffled and wiped away her tear as she got onto her feet, taking the note from her pocket hesitantly. She wasn't sure if she should read her mother's last words… She might not like what she had to write.

_Dearest Alice, _

_I know that you might find this selfish of me, but you've moved on with your life and you're finally happy. I'm aware that I've been a burden since my cancer got worse and that I haven't been the most caring mother as of late, but I leave you this letter, hoping that you find comfort in knowing that I am proud of you and Johnny. You've done everything you can for him and you're making a life with Michael that will ultimately benefit that boy. And he has turned into such a caring lad; he will make a fine man one day… My only regret in life is not being well enough to see that day._

_I don't want you to be sad, I died on my own terms. I had to leave this pain and torment behind. I don't ever want you to suffer as I have, but if you ever do, you'll realise why I took this way out. I've simply moved into the next room; your father's been waiting for me and I can't keep him waiting any longer. Remember what I told you, I want you to find Nora, the last thing I heard about her was when she was adopted by a wealthy family in Doncaster. Find her and have a real relationship with her… and please be wary of Danny. He may be blood, but he can't be trusted. He will find a way to ruin everything you've worked hard for out of spite. He was always such an unruly boy._

_Please be careful and I love you, even if I didn't always show it. _

_I'm sorry. _

* * *

It took longer than expected to get Johnny settled, perhaps letting him sleep on the way home wasn't the smartest decision, but neither knew that they were going to be coming home to this. He knew it was Alice's biggest fear, she made it clear from day one that she couldn't stay with him in case something like this happened and now that it was here, he didn't know how she would react. Michael had mourned before, but he didn't know how to comfort someone in mourning; the only thing he could do was to be there for her as much as he could, do whatever she needed him to do.

He walked into the quiet house and peered into the living room, watching Alice as she cleaned out the fireplace. She had a blanket placed over her mother's body and a couple of candles lit. He knocked on the door lightly and stepped fully into the room. Keeping his hat in his hands, he kept his eyes to the floor and tried to find the right words to say.

"I'm so sorry, Alice." His voice was so quiet that she just about heard him.

"This day had to come eventually." She replied tonelessly.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to get this house ready for a wake. I don't know who I need to call to get mother ready." She pressed the back of her wrist to her nose as she tried to stay composed. It was hard, all she wanted to do was cry, but if she started, she'd never stop. "She did everything when my father died."

"Do you want me to contact the undertaker for you?" he tiptoed towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She felt so tense under his touch.

"If you don't mind. You didn't tell Johnny what happened, did you?" she finally looked up at him, her eyes dull and full of sorrow.

"No, but he knows that something's not right. I thought it would be best if you told him, you always know what to say."

She nodded and pushed herself up, wiping the soot from her hands onto her dress. "I'll speak with him. She left me a letter; you know." Alice ran her fingers through her hair and looked towards the ceiling. "I think she was pushing for our relationship to work so that she knew Johnny and I would be fine after her death." Now that she was standing and had stopped preparing for the wake, her emotions hit the wall she had put up and it was starting to crack. She gripped onto Michael, almost collapsing into him as her knees gave out and she gave in to the misery.

* * *

Seeing her like this scared him, all he could do was hold her as she sobbed into his chest and pet at her head. He became mute, the words that he wanted to say to her wouldn't come from his lips. It was like he was in shock.

"How am I supposed to go on without her? She's always been there… Now she's gone and now I'm alone."

He placed his hand underneath her chin and tilted her head up, staring down at her understandingly. "You've got Johnny and I to help you through this. You're not alone, you'll never be alone."

Alice zoned out for a moment; she didn't want to cry anymore. She hated feeling like this. A look of panic crossed her face as her mind started to race. She had so many things left to do; the house was untidy and there was nothing for guests to eat. She had to make sandwiches and find someone to transport her mother's body back to the hill outside the village; it's where Agnes wanted to be buried, beside her husband. And then Tommy came into her mind, how was she going to be able to work if she could barely keep her mind focused on one thing.

"I need to tell Tommy that I won't be at work for a few days. He's going to be furious with me."

"He won't be furious, he'll understand." He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and dabbed at her face gently, cleaning her up. "I'll speak with him once I contact the undertaker."

She shook her head and took in a deep breath. "I'll speak with him; will you get the undertaker? The sooner we have this wake, the sooner we can get her beside father." She broke away from Michael and drifted towards the front door, lifting her coat from the bannister and placing it on her frame.

"Do you want me to do anything else?" he moved his hat through his fingertips and dropped his eyes once more.

"Could you light the fire?"

"Wouldn't you rather be with Johnny tonight?"

"I need to stay with mother tonight, her spirit would be angry if I left her alone. I'll be back soon, Michael. Thank you." The corner of her mouth turned up into an unenthusiastic half-smile. It was all she could muster now. The numb feeling was starting to creep back in, it blocked out most of the pain.

* * *

The building was dim and quiet, but Alice could see Tommy's desk lamp on through the slits in his blinds. She knocked on the door before stepping into his office, noticing how annoyed he seemed to be as she approached him.

"What are you doing here, Alice?" he asked as he scribbled his signature onto a couple of documents.

"I needed to speak with you… I'm not going to be able to come to work for a while."

"What? We need to find someone to get these guns over to America because Tweedy's… Well let's just say someone got to him."

Tommy seemed to be stressed, she knew it had to do with the guns and ammunition, but she had no idea why it was putting so much pressure on him; he kept that part to himself.

"Did Tweedy drop out of the deal?"

"You haven't heard? Haven't you been reading the newspapers?" when she shook her head, he threw his newspaper towards her. He glanced at her from over the rims of his glasses as she read the headlines.

"Tweedy was murdered? Do they know who done it?"

"Do you really need to ask that?"

"Danny." She said with a sigh. She slid into the chair in front of him, setting the newspaper on his desk and grabbing his open bottle of whiskey. She took a long drink and ignored his glaring. She blamed herself, if she hadn't have lied to him, he'd still be alive.

"Why do you need time off work? What's happened?"

"My mother killed herself." She said bluntly; she wasn't going to sugar coat it for him, Tommy had experienced death many times. Alice knew that for a fact.

He stopped writing and dropped his pen onto the table. "Does Michael know?"

"Yeah, he's calling the undertaker. Pol's got Johnny and once I leave here, I'm going to organise the wake and the funeral."

"Do you want to host the wake at the Garrison?"

She shook her head and pursed her lips. "No, my mother knew only a few people in this city, and she hated pubs. I think it would be best to keep the wake at the house."

"Right, well take a few days off to mourn and bury her." When she nodded at him, he watched her walk towards the door, her head hanging, and her body hunched. "Alice, I'm sorry for your loss." She didn't reply, she just glanced at him over her shoulder and left him to finish his work. Whether she realised or not, Alice was family now and the family would be at the wake.

* * *

Sitting down with Johnny to tell him the truth was the hardest thing Alice ever had to do. She put her own emotions to the side and focused on Johnny's. She was prepared for him to be upset, she just had to make sure he wasn't traumatised. Pol handed her a cup of tea and petted Johnny on top of his head before dragging Michael out of the room, much to his dismay. He wanted to be on standby in case Alice went into a tailspin; he didn't know how she coped last night on her own, but he barely saw her cry over her mother's death.

"You've got to give them space." Pol said as she poured out another cup of tea. "Hanging over her head isn't going to do either of them any good."

"I'm worried about her," he looked up at his mum and lit a cigarette, taking a long draw before continuing, "I don't know if she's going to cope."

"Alice has you and she's got Johnny, no one ever gets over the death of a loved one… Not properly but they learn to live without them. You've just got to be the support for her to lean on. Besides, she's got contact with the spirits like all good gypsies do." When that didn't comfort him, Pol reached over and grasped his hand. "You love her, and she loves you. It'll be okay."

He nodded and sipped at his tea, glancing towards the kitchen door. Pol was right, he had to give the two of them the chance to speak.

* * *

She kneeled in front of her son, taking his little hands into hers. The way he was looking at her broke her heart a little more, he knew that she was sad, and it hurt him.

"You know that your nanny Agnes was sick for a very long time and that she was in a lot of pain for most of the time." She watched him nod his head slowly, a pout appearing on his face. "God decided that it was time for nanny Agnes to be reunited with Pops, that she didn't have to suffer anymore."

"Is nanny in heaven now?" Johnny whispered as he played with the ends of his mother's fingers.

"Yes, baby." She kissed the back of his hand and touched his cheek. "Speak to me, Johnny. How do you feel?"

"Sad." He threw himself into his mother's arms and squeezed her tightly. He didn't really understand what death was until now, he didn't remember his grandfather dying and now all he felt was confusion. "Will she ever come back?"

She let out a sigh and rested her head on top of his. "No, she's going to stay with Pops."

"I'm going to miss nanny, mumma."

"Me too, Johnny. But she's suffering anymore so when you feel sad, just remember that she's carefree, up in the clouds." She held him at arm's length and nodded at him. "Whenever you miss her, just look up to the sky and she'll be there."

"Will you be okay?"

His little eyes seemed to see right through her and when she looked into them, she knew that there was no point in lying to him. He wouldn't have believed her. "Eventually, I'm just really upset."

"Just look up at the sky, mumma." He stepped to the front door slowly and glanced over his shoulder at her, daring her to follow him out onto the street.

* * *

She followed him outside and picked him up, his arms and legs clinging onto her as he tipped his head back. Alice watched him for a moment before she turned her eyes to the murky, Birmingham sky. It didn't make her feel any better though, but if it stopped Johnny from working himself up, then she would accompany him any time he wanted to gaze at the clouds. Michael lingered by the front door, letting them have a minute or two to reflect before clearing his throat. Johnny placed his head on Alice's shoulder and gave him somewhat of a smile before Alice turned to face him.

"I think it's time that you ate something, Alice."

"I have preparations to make and…" she trailed off when Michael raised his hand.

"Leave them to me, just get some breakfast." He fixed his coat and kissed Johnny on his cheek before placing a peck on her lips. "Don't have me tell you again, Alice."

She walked into the house and stood at the door, watching him cross the street. "Will you do me a favour?"

He swung around and looked at her. "Anything."

"I left a dress on my bed at my mother's house; it was hers and I'd like to wear it this afternoon."

"Yeah, just get a bite to eat and have a nap in my bed. You could do with it."

* * *

The house was jam packed with people ready to pay their respects to Agnes; Alice had no idea that her mother knew so many people but with every person that came into her home, it became harder and harder to act like she was okay. Every sympathy that was passed on to her felt like a knife in her gut; she was ready to run out of the house to clear her head when Michael appeared at the door with their son in his arms and the rest of the family behind him.

"Alice, we're very sorry to hear about your mother." Arthur said solemnly as he stepped into the house. He followed the trail of people into the living room.

Alice watched him as he set a small bunch of flowers by the casket and took her son from Michael's arms so that he could pay his respects. The last to enter the house was Tommy and it seemed as if his mood hadn't changed much since the last time, she spoke to him. Before he could follow his siblings into the living room, Alice gripped him by the arm, making him look down at her.

"I need to speak with you."

"Right, what is it?" he placed his hands into the pockets of his coat and raised a brow at her.

"Michael mentioned to me a while ago that you were the one that found him." She placed her hand on her chest and the other on her hip. "I need you to find someone for me."

"Who?"

"Her name is Nora and she was adopted by a rich family in Doncaster; that's all I know about her."

"Is this going to bring trouble to our doorstep?" he looked down at her with a raised brow, it made Alice look to the floor.

"No, she's my sister, well half-sister. On my mother's side so no relation to Danny."

"I'll see what I can do for you, but with everything going on at the minute, I'm not promising anything."

"As long as you promise that you'll try."

"I'll try, Alice."

She nodded and stepped into the living room, immediately going to Michael's side. Under his arm, she felt some of the agony she felt drift away, it would only be temporary, but at least it gave her mind a break. She knew that tomorrow would be hard for both of them, she was going to put her mother into her grave and Michael would have to return to the village he hated so much; they were just going to have to get through it together.

* * *

There was no service at the chapel, it was pointless to go when it was just the three of them; she couldn't go through the unpleasantries of listening to strangers' condolences all over again. The wake was enough for her. The same priest that spoke at her father's funeral, spoke at her mother's graveside on the hill. Standing in front of the hole in the ground and looking at her father's tombstone made everything final for her. She wouldn't see her mother's face again and she'd never get to hold her hand. Alice wasn't going to leave until the last bit of dirt was placed on top of the casket and once it was, she left a flower on top of each grave.

"I love you." She got onto her knees and placed her hand on the freshy dug dirt and looked at her father's grave miserably. "Both of you."

"Alice." Michael's voice was low, but it was a clear enough warning.

She looked up to see Danny approaching her, he was a good distance away, but she knew it was him.

"Take Johnny to the car and stay with him." She got onto her feet and kept her eyes fixated on her brother.

"I'm not leaving you alone with him."

"Keep Johnny away from him. I know how to handle my brother." She looked at Michael and then down to their son. "Go on Johnny, go to the car with dad."

"I didn't know mumma had a brother." Johnny said as Michael scooped him up.

* * *

"Didn't want the little fella to meet me, did ya?" Danny called out with a smirk. Watching Alice squirm put a cheeky smile onto his face. "I didn't think you'd shack up with a Peaky. Didn't think you'd let him play daddy to Johnny either."

"He's Johnny's father, not that I have to explain myself to you." Her hands slipped into her pockets as she glared at her brother. "What are you doing here?"

"Just paying my respects. How did a Peaky father Johnny? Is that why you went to Birmingham? Why you joined up with Tommy Shelby?"

"Michael used to live in the village, and he wasn't the reason I went to Birmingham. As for Tommy, he was the only one that would take me on. You've really fucked up my chances."

"And I'll keep fucking them up. Why should I stop making money? I've a family to feed too."

"Then stop acting like a brat, sending letters to my place of work making demands like you're the boss of me. I barely know you." She raised her voice and turned away from him, shaking her head.

"I'm the only family you've got. I'm trying to look out for ya, Alice."

"Bullshit. You're pissed off because Tommy won't do business with you. That's why you killed Tweedy."

He laughed and ran his hand through his long, ginger hair. "I killed Tweedy for that pretty dock in Ayr."

"You just have to have it all, don't you?" she turned around and whipped a pistol out of her coat pocket, aiming the barrel at Danny's face. "You need to stay out of my life, stop making threats and fuck off to whatever pit you're calling home now."

"Calm down, little sister." He held his hands up and let out a deep breath. "You're not going to do anything with that."

She shot the gun beside his feet and moved the barrel back up to his head. "Won't I? How dare you show your face at my mother's grave."

"Listen, I'm sure we can smooth this all over. I agree, I shouldn't have come here but I wanted to see you. We should be a family again."

"I've got my family and you've got yours. Don't get greedy."

He moved one hand to scratch at his beard and clenched his jaw. "I can be of use to Tommy."

"How could you be, he doesn't want anything to do with you."

"I know he's desperate and I've got the docks at Ayr now. Lower your gun and I'll make a reasonable proposition."

Alice lowered the revolver and chewed at the skin of her inner cheek as she felt the sting of the tears in her eyes. "Start talking, now."

* * *

**A:N So Danny's finally arrived and he's going to be nothing but a thorn in Alice's side. Tommy's plans are going to be revealed very soon and we're going to see a darker side to Alice brought on by all her grief and Danny's reintroduction to her life. Thank you so much for all the support and please keep reading this story!**


	10. Chapter Ten

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Ten**

* * *

They hadn't said word to each other, the whole way back to Birmingham was filled with Johnny begging his parents to play eye spy to take his mind off his nanny or soft whimpers when the memories of her slipped through the distraction. All Alice could do was hold him and reassure him that things were going to be okay; she couldn't promise anything because she didn't know herself. She had never saw Michael so angry at her, he wouldn't even look at her. When she looked out the window, she could see Danny's car tailing behind them from the corner of her eye. A storm was coming, and she feared that it was going to sweep her away.

He stopped abruptly outside Agnes', now Alice's home and looked down at Johnny, a lot kinder than how he had been looking for the past few hours. "Run inside and pack yourself a bag; you're going to stay with me in the country for a few days."

"Is mumma coming too? Won't she need clothes?" Johnny looked from Michael to Alice, his eyes glistening in the sunlight.

"I have a few things to do before I go," she touched his chubby cheek and nodded towards the door, "we'll be together again soon."

"Promise?"

She nodded and handed him the house keys. "I promise."

Johnny climbed over his mother and jumped out of the car, striding towards the front door with the key in his hand. He couldn't help but investigate the car that was parked behind them; he was curious to see what Danny looked like. When his uncle waved at him, he waved naively and ran into the house, shutting the door behind him.

* * *

They sat in silence, Alice picking at some loose thread on her dress and Michael tapping his fingers off the steering wheel before lighting a cigarette. Her eyes flickered towards him and she was the first to gather the nerve to speak. "Talk to me…"

"What were you thinking, Alice?" he said after taking a long drag.

"My mother said that he couldn't be trusted, I needed leverage." She tilted her head and dug her fingers into her messy bun. "I thought a gun was leverage enough."

"If he can't be trusted then why is he here? Why are you taking him to meet Tommy?" his eyes dug into hers, but he couldn't see the same Alice that used to gaze back up at him; she was different. It concerned him.

"He said he can be useful to Tommy; I know what his plan is, and Danny can help. He said that he'll cooperate if they can come to a deal."

"I don't know what this plan is or this deal, but I don't have a good feeling about any of it."

"I know bits and pieces, but Tommy says this is the last plan before going legal and I mean completely legal." She tried to take his hand, but he moved it away from her. "Do you trust me?" when he nodded, she sighed in relief and took the cigarette from his lips. "Then trust that I know what I'm doing."

He turned his head towards her, she could see that he was still annoyed, but he had calmed down. "Where did you get the gun from?"

"I found it in your room at your mother's. I knew he'd go to my mother's grave and if anything had of happened to you or Johnny…" she ducked her head and pressed her lips together.

"What made you think that, that was a good idea? You've never used one before."

"It looked easy." She shrugged her shoulders and glanced up at him. "You just aim and squeeze the trigger."

He placed his hand on the back of her neck and rested his head against hers. "I don't want you to do that again, understood?" when he felt her nod gently against him, he closed his eyes and placed a kiss on her lips. When there was a knock at the window, he opened his eyes and pulled away from her, coming face to face with Danny.

Alice rolled down the window slightly and recomposed herself. "What?"

"Are we meeting with Tommy or what?"

"Yeah, let's go." She opened the car door and slid out. "I'll call you when we're finished Michael."

"Tommy knows the number." He watched the siblings walk down the street, Danny trailing Alice as he waited for Johnny to come out. He hated the sight of him, and he hated him even more when Danny smirked over his shoulder at him.

* * *

She knocked at his door and listened to his footsteps as they got closer, she felt nervous and Danny wasn't making things any better; she could feel his breath on the back of her neck and felt his stare on the back of her head. When she came face to face with Tommy, she could see the muscles in his cheek move as he clenched his teeth together at the sight of her brother.

"Alice, what is Danny doing here?" he moved his eyes down towards her, a stern and uninviting expression crossing him.

"Nice to meet you too, Tommy Shelby." Danny smirked and took a step back, shaking his head and stuffing his hands into his trouser pockets.

"He said he can help; he already knew about the guns." She said quietly. Alice rested her hand on the frame of the door, using it to keep herself upright. "I know you don't like him, I don't either," she looked over her shoulder at her brother with a scowl, "but he's got Ayr. I have no idea what your plan is with those guns, but I guess if you don't get them to Pittsburgh, then it'll be your head that'll be on the chopping block."

"What happens to me isn't any of your concern and I don't appreciate you bringing him here."

"I want to help you and if anything happened to you," she shook those bad thoughts from her head, she already had plenty occupying her, "he said he wants to make a deal."

"And the last time I rejected his offers, he killed one of the Lee boys." He was speaking through gritted teeth, the sight of Danny set his veins on fire. "They are dear friends of mine." Tommy's mind started to turn, and he thought about the consequences that he'd face if he didn't get those guns to America. There was still so much he wanted to do, Tommy wasn't ready to die, and Danny seemed to be his only option. He looked over Alice's head as Danny stared back at him, the same arrogant smirk on him. "You get twenty minutes."

"I knew you were a smart man." He pushed past Alice and stepped into the office, letting out a scoff as he looked at the decoration.

"I hope you realise what you've let us all in for." Tommy said to her as he closed the door over, leaving her to sit and think as he tried to deal with her rogue brother.

* * *

Tommy poured them both a drink and leaned into his chair as he regarded the man in front of him. He had heard a few stories about Danny but never had the pleasure to see him in the flesh; their past wasn't plain sailing, the Shelbys aligning themselves with the Lees angered Finlay and his tribe and Alice being involved with the Shelbys obviously struck a raw nerve with Danny.

"Before we get down to business, how do you know about the guns?" he took his glasses from his face and rubbed at his tired eyes with the inside of his hand.

"I became acquainted with a Polish fella named Gregor a few years back, nice kid but very troubled. He spoke of revolution and change but I realised that this fella wasn't a real communist; he wanted money. Stacks of money." Danny grasped the glass of whiskey and downed it in one, waving for Tommy to pour another, he enjoyed his expensive drinks. Once he did, he continued, "When he spoke of this crazy idea of an armed robbery with getaway drivers and machine guns, I sent him on his merry way; confused me for some sort of IRA man because of my accent but I was quick to tell him that my da moved us away from Ireland a long time ago. That was the end of our conversation."

"You're not really answering my question." Tommy said bluntly.

"I'm getting to it, hold your horses." Danny gritted his teeth as he grinned, enjoying the annoyed look on Tommy's face. "Gregor travelled on and I forgot about that little weasel until I heard that Tweedy had struck a deal with you and I just had to know why." He cracked his knuckles and shifted in his seat. "So, I did the only rational thing when an enemy does business with an enemy and went to Ayr to find out what the craic was. Tweedy squealed like a pig when I put a bit of pressure on him. Told me about the guns and the secret shipment to New York. Said you'd have a guy to take them to Pittsburgh and that got me thinking; did some digging of my own and guess whose name came up? I knew then that you were sending guns to the Polish that resided there."

Tommy didn't disagree with Danny's methods, in a way he saw a bit of himself in Danny, but he should've kept his nose out of Shelby business; it was all true, and he got Tommy backed into a corner. "So, you got rid of him and took the dock to do what? Try and strike up a deal with me?" he took the tin he kept his smokes in, out of his pocket and tapped it off the edge of his desk.

"No, I got rid of him because of his stupidity. He was bumming and blowing that Danny Finlay's sister said it was alright for him to get involved in Birmingham business. It was safe to say that he figured out she was lying when I stuck a knife in his gut."

"What makes you think that I'd want to work with you after you killed one of the Lee boys out of jealousy?"

"Well there's no other dock that'll get your guns out under the radar and now that you've employed my little sis, it's time to bury this feud."

Tommy nodded at him and looked away from his smarmy face. "Alice told me about the letter you wrote her."

"I did tell her if she didn't resign, I'd come to Birmingham." He held up his hands and whistled as he looked around the room. "Here I am. At least this visit will end well for the both of us if you accept the proposition, I have for you."

He felt like he was going mad for giving Danny the time of day, but he was cornered and there was nothing he could do. Tommy underestimated Danny, he thought he was a dumb man, but he was conniving and manipulative; someone useful to have as an ally and not an enemy.

"I'm all ears."

* * *

It seemed like they had been in there for more than twenty minutes, but she wasn't keeping count; Alice had spent her time waiting at her desk with a bottle of gin and she was almost finished with the bottle. She was wallowing in sadness, the drink letting the grief take control of her. She was a mess and the only time she stopped crying was to take another mouthful of the potent liquid. When Tommy's door finally opened, she wiped away the tears and got out of her chair unsteadily, waiting for Danny to storm out and cause a scene but they seemed to be on good enough terms. Her brother stepped towards her and looked her over with a raised brow. "Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other."

"Great, just what I wanted." She watched him walk out of the building and looked towards Tommy. "What'd the two of you do in there? Kiss and make up?"

"Come in here, I need to speak with you."

"Right," she stumbled towards the office and collapsed into the chair in front of him, "what do you need to speak with me about?"

"Danny's going to send the guns to New York for a lesser price than what Tweedy was."

"How kind of him." She remarked as she rested her head back on the chair, staring up at the ceiling.

"But there was one other thing that he wanted, it wasn't my place to agree but seen as you brought him here without my permission, I agreed on your behalf."

"Agreed what?"

"You're going to marry one of his gypsy boys."

* * *

She sat up properly, suddenly feeling very sober. "Tommy, Michael and I are trying to be a family again, and you plan on shipping me up north to marry one of Danny's men?"

"I know it's not ideal, but I had to take his offer. I've tried to keep you in the dark about this plan of mine, but it's time that you're aware. If the guns don't arrive in New York on the third of January, every Shelby dies… That includes Michael and if they catch wind of Johnny…"

She placed her hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. "But the guns will arrive."

"If you marry one of Danny's men."

"He's got me right where he wants me…" she whispered to herself as she got out of the chair. "Will you call Michael; I want him to pick me up now."

"You can't tell him. He loves you and he'll try to stop this from happening." He watched the many emotions that marked her face; panic, frustration and disgust. He did feel sorry for her, but he wanted his family to survive and he didn't care if he had to ruin Alice's future to ensure that.

"So that's that. Everything that it took for Michael and I to get back on track, ruined." She let out a little laugh. "Funny thing is, I don't even blame you. I blame myself."

"I wish there was another way, I do. I considered you family, you and your son." He said truthfully; he was keen on the young woman; she brought a spark to the family and she kept his cousin happy. "But you brought this grenade into Birmingham."

"I'll pay the price, to keep Michael and Johnny alive."

"If there was another way…"

"I know, Tommy." She let out a sigh and gripped her hair at the root. "I've got to pay the piper."

* * *

It was late when she got to Michael's house and she tried her best to remain calm; she couldn't tell if Danny would actually force her to marry one his men, but she wasn't willing to take that chance. Instead of sitting up with Michael, she went into Johnny's room and climbed into bed, holding him closely and watching for every breath. If she was to marry someone else, she wouldn't bring Johnny with her; life in a caravan was less than what he deserved, and she knew that Michael would take good care of him. It was all too much for her to think about, tears flowed from her eyes but she remained silent; she couldn't have Johnny waking up to see her like this. She hated Danny for making her do this, he knew that there was no way for her to disagree with his plans; he knew very little of Alice, but what he did know about her, he used to his advantage.

She heard Michael's footsteps approach Johnny's room and when they stopped, she could feel his eyes gaze on her. She lifted her head very slowly and met his eyes; she wanted to tell him desperately but then Tommy's words rang in her ears.

"Come downstairs, let the boy sleep." He whispered.

"Just a moment longer, I'll be down in a second." She pressed her head against Johnny's and took in the scent of his head. Alice still managed to pick up on his new-born scent. It gifted her some comfort.

"I'll pour us some drinks; god knows I need one too." When she didn't respond, he took a step back and gave her the moment she needed. He knew that she was grieving, but this wasn't normal for her; Alice was acting strange and he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

* * *

When she came down the stairs, he was already on his third stiff drink and feeling the effects of it. She took the space beside him and took the glass he had sitting for her, drinking it quick and shaking the empty glass for another. He watched her from the corner of his eye as he poured out another gin and sat back in the sofa, one arm draped around the back.

"What's going on with you Alice? You were in such a state when I picked you up."

"I had a few drinks to settle myself, that's all." She lied before taking a sip. "Today's been a hard day."

"A few drinks? You smelt like the brewery." He shook his head, disbelieving her lie. "You've normally got your head screwed on; you know? I get that your mother dying is hard on you, but this is out of character for you." He turned his head towards her and let out a sigh. "What's got you so messed up?" he watched her take another drink and shifted in his place. "Something went down at Tommy's office. What happened?"

"I can't tell you." She mumbled as she ran her finger around the rim of the glass.

"Then if you won't tell me, I'll call Tommy myself." He pulled himself out of the chair and stormed towards his phone but stopped when he felt Alice's grasp on his arm.

"Don't call Tommy."

"Then tell me what's going on." He looked down at her and noticed how her body trembled either out of fear or hurt.

"Just sit down, Michael. Pour yourself another drink because you will need it." She followed him back to the sofa and sat at one end, her legs tucked underneath herself as she waited for him to get settled.

"Tell me what's going on." He demanded.

"I'm betraying Tommy's trust by telling you this…"

"And you'll be betraying mine if you don't."

She closed her eyes for a moment to compose herself as best as she could. "I'd rather have your trust than Tommy's."

"Then I'm listening."

* * *

He was in shock and seething with anger; he could even think about this plan that Tommy had because he could only think about this ridiculous marriage proposal that his cousin agreed to. His heart was aching, and his head throbbed. Michael knew of the risks that Tommy's plan came with, Alice stressed that point until it made her hoarse, but he didn't care; if Alice and Johnny were safe then that was all that mattered to him. Alice wouldn't be safe in Danny's gypsy camp. He couldn't blame her for agreeing to this, if anything it proved that she would do just about anything to keep him alive; but it didn't lessen the blow of Tommy's betrayal. He knew how Michael felt about Alice and he didn't give a shit.

"You should've told me the minute you got into the car." He said finally.

"So that you could go in and kill Tommy? Where would that have got us?" she crawled over to him and grabbed his hands, squeezing them for dear life. "You have to let me do this, if you or Johnny got hurt because I refused…"

"No one will get anywhere near you," he looked at her, a serious and determined look on his face; she had never saw him like this before, "not while I'm breathing. You're not marrying one of Danny's men."

"Danny will get his way, one way or the other; either he gets complete control over me or we all die." She shrugged her shoulders as her face screwed up, a sob escaping from her.

"You can't marry one of his own if you're already married." He wiped her tears away with his fingertips and kept a hold of her face so that she couldn't look away from him. "I wanted to wait a while before we tied the knot, but there's no time like the present."

"But Tommy's plan…"

"Fuck Tommy and his plans, you and Johnny are my top priority. Marry me, Alice. We'll be a proper family."

* * *

Her mind was scrambled from the grief and the booze; if she had of been sober, she could've thought about his proposal and the consequences they'd inevitably face. She wanted Michael and everything that came along with him; but she didn't imagine getting married to him to avoid an arranged marriage.

"When?"

"Is that a yes?"

"Of course," she felt a small surge of happiness as he pulled her onto his lap, "when do we do this?"

"Tomorrow. The next day at the latest."

"Not in Birmingham and not towards the north, they'd only find out." She bit her lip as she stared down at him, her hands knotted in his hair.

"Then we go south. The three of us will find somewhere. Get you a pretty dress to wear," he smiled slightly as he pressed his mouth to hers, feeling the corners of her lips turn up at the touch of his caress, "then we'll come back, and I'll deal with Tommy and Danny myself."

"Shall we tell anyone? Your mother?"

"Not until you're Mrs Gray." He lay her down on her back and took the space between her legs, placing kisses along her neck until he got back to her lips. "Alice Gray has a ring to it, don't you think?"

* * *

**A:N What do you think of Danny and his plan to get under everybody's skin and what about Michael and Alice's secret wedding? How will Danny react to his agreement with Tommy becoming void and how will Tommy and Michael's relationship change? Let me know what you think and thank you so much for reading. There is much more to come!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Eleven**

* * *

They ran down the streets of Brighton, Alice clinging onto Johnny's hand as he tried to keep up with her. She was running that fast that she could feel the veil on her head slipping from the roots of her hair. They were almost at the chapel and in the distance, she could see Michael standing outside having a smoke as he spoke with a stranger on the street. Much to Johnny's delight, they walked for the last couple of feet until they were standing outside the chapel.

"Alice, this is Patrick, he's going to be a witness for us." He informed her as he waved towards the strange man.

"Nice to meet you." She nodded at Patrick and watched as he nodded back before turning to Michael with a small smile. "Is everything ready?"

"We were just waiting for you and our boy." He ruffled Johnny's hair and threw his cigarette on the ground before opening the door for them. Patrick walked in first and made his way to the pews, then Johnny ran in, pulling Alice by the arm as she fixed her veil over her face. Michael kept close to her, whispering to her before they got to the alter, "You look perfect."

She smiled over her shoulder at him, her teeth grazing her bottom lip. "So do you."

* * *

They kneeled by the alter, listening to Johnny kicking the backs of his shoes against the wooden seats as they waited for the priest to start the ceremony. As soon as he cleared his throat, Johnny stopped and sat still and watched his parents eagerly. He had dreamed of this since the moment he met his father.

"We're gathered here today to join these two souls together under the eyes of God." The old priest looked at the young couple over the rims of his thin glasses. "Do you, Michael Gray take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer from this day forward in the eyes of God?"

He looked at Alice from the corner of his eye and clasped his hands in front of his body. "I do."

"And do you, Alice Gray take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer from this day forward in the eyes of God?"

"I definitely do."

"Are there any reasons why these two shouldn't be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace?" The priest waited for a moment then motioned for them to exchange rings. "I pronounce you man and wife; you may kiss the bride."

They got onto their feet and turned towards each other, Michael removing the veil from her face and placing it on the back of her head. He took her face into his hands and gave her a long peck, grinning against her lips. After a few seconds, they felt Johnny wrap his arms around their legs and when they looked down at him, he was jumping up and down out of excitement.

"Does this mean I'm Johnny Gray now, dad?"

"If that's what you want, I'm sure your mum can make arrangements to get that changed."

"When we get back to Birmingham, I'll sort all that out. Let us sign this certificate first, okay baby?" she stroked his cheek and followed Michael's lead towards the priest. She felt happy for the first time in almost a week, but she had the feeling that it wouldn't last long. It never really did anymore.

* * *

They were on opposite ends of the bed, Johnny sprawled out in the middle, his feet digging into Alice's legs and his elbows poking Michael's back. It wasn't the most ideal way to spend their first night as a married couple, but they were happy and that's what mattered most. Neither one of them could sleep, but Alice was used to the sleepless nights by now, and when Michael rolled over and moved Johnny's arm's back by his side, Alice followed suit, looking over her husband's face in the moonlight.

"What's on your mind?" she asked quietly.

"You deserved better than that shotgun wedding. I feel like I've let you down."

"I don't need fancy flowers or an expensive dress. I don't want hundreds of people staring at us, the only two people I wanted were there."

"You mean Johnny and that fella, Patrick?" he teased.

She placed her hand over her mouth to muffle the laugh that escaped her and shook her head. "You and Johnny. We're a family and that's all I need." She reached over her son and grasped his hand.

"Fuck everyone else."

She nodded in agreement and looked away from him. "What are you going to tell Tommy when we get back tomorrow?"

"I'm going to go through him, Alice. He knew how much I loved you and he risked this," he waved towards her and Johnny, screwing his face up in anger, "for a plan. If he was in our situation, he would've run off and got married too."

"He's going to blame me, I can feel it in my bones."

"Don't worry about him, he doesn't matter." He let out a sigh and kissed the back of her hand before letting it go. "Try and get some sleep and stop worrying. I can see those creases forming in your forehead from here."

She nodded and closed her eyes, Michael was more headstrong than she was, she couldn't help but worry even after his words of encouragement. The Shelby family were tight knit and if she was the one that caused a rift between Michael and his cousins, she worried that it would be held against her later in their marriage; she didn't want that to happen, Michael was who she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, no one else would do.

* * *

The day came for Michael to confront the person he had looked up to for years; it was hard for him to believe that Tommy would hurt him like this again, he thought that spending two years in prison was enough but clearly, Tommy forgot about that mess. He stepped into the building, his hands in his pockets and greeted Arthur and the rest of the boys calmly as he stormed towards Tommy's office. He entered without knocking, catching Tommy off guard as he took a phone call. Their eyes met and Tommy could tell that whatever Michael had to say, it wasn't good. He finished his phone call and leaned back in his chair, watching in interest as Michael glowered down at him.

"Where were you and Alice?"

"Brighton."

"This time of the year? I'm sure it was cold. Take a seat."

"I don't want to take a seat, I'd rather stand."

Tommy nodded and took his glasses from his face, setting them on his desk. "Well, are you going to tell me what's wrong with you or are you going to stand and stare at me all day?"

"How fucking dare you agree to let Alice marry one of Danny's men. You know I love that girl to bits, and you use her as a pawn for this little plan you've got going on." He could feel his body start to shake and he couldn't keep it under control. It didn't help matters when Tommy stared at Michael like he was growing another head.

"So, she let the cat out of the bag then, eh?"

"Yeah, she did. She was in pieces and scared shitless."

"She should be scared; you should be scared. I'm scared." Tommy raised his voice back at his cousin as his eyes pierced into Michael's. "Alice brought a snake into our city and she should be the one to deal with the consequences. She agreed to it so get over it and move onto the next girl."

"If it was Grace that was being auctioned off, would you have taken it lying down?" Michael raised his brow and watched Tommy's expression drop completely.

"Don't bring her into this."

"But would you?" he leaned on the table and stared Tommy down. "Because I know that you wouldn't."

He noticed something glimmer on Michael's hand and looked down to see a gold wedding band on his finger. His eyes then shifted back to him and he could feel his own blood boil. "That's why you went to Brighton, you fucking married her."

Michael nodded slowly as he sucked on the back of his teeth. "Yeah, I did. She can't marry no gypsy lad if she's married to me."

Tommy got out of his chair and threw the cap off his head. His hands gripped at his hair as he paced around the room. "You've fucked us, I hope you realise that."

"You tried to fuck me. I would never have done that to you!" he said as he stepped towards Tommy.

* * *

They squared up, neither one of them willing to back down. Both had their hands balled into fists, but deep down, they didn't want to fight each other. There was still a familial bond there. Tommy straightened out his hand and placed it on Michael's shoulder, giving in, in hopes that it would make life a little bit easier. They were stronger together, regardless of how they were feeling at this moment in time.

"I shouldn't have agreed, but he had me backed into a corner." Tommy explained as he looked at his blood sincerely. "I underestimated him."

"Why didn't you tell the family about this plan? When do things ever work out for you when you do these things alone?"

"It's the Polish, Michael."

"Yeah? And what?"

Tommy smirked and shook his head, taking a step back. "If you thought Changretta was deadly, these bastards are worse. I'm trying to stay on their good side but that could change when they come to Birmingham and realise that I'm trying to keep Danny fucking Finlay in line."

"You're a smart man, Tommy. You should've realised that fighting a war on two fronts was never going to work out."

"That's why I'm trying to appease Danny until this deal is done. But now it's blown out of the water." He returned to his desk and collapsed into the chair.

"Get Danny down here. Me, you and Alice will straighten things out with him."

"He won't listen."

"We can try. Set it up, I'll drop Johnny off at my mum's and get Alice."

There were no ifs and buts, Michael walked out of the office before Tommy could talk him out of this meeting. If things didn't go well, then it would be the end of the Shelby family. The Polish would wipe them out.

* * *

All three of them sat in silence as they waited for Danny to arrive. He instructed them to meet at Alice's mother's home, which only made things harder for Alice. She sat with a cup of scalding tea in her hand, watching the window for any sign of her brother and once she saw him, she almost dropped the hot liquid over herself. "He's here." She said as she got up to answer the door, but before she even got there, he had let himself in.

"Good morning, sister." He walked into the living room and looked at Tommy first then rolled his eyes towards Michael. "What is this urgent matter you need to speak with me about?"

"I know that I agreed to your proposal of Alice marrying one of your men, but that's not going to happen."

"Why not?" he folded his arms across his chest and looked over his shoulder at his little sister. "Cold feet?"

"Alice and I are already married." Michael said, his eyes fixated on the red headed man in front of him.

"Since when?"

"Since," Danny held his hand up, stopping Michael from saying another word.

"I'm addressing my sister." He turned his body around so that he was face to face with her. "Since when, Alice?"

"Yesterday. We got married yesterday." She placed a hand on her hip and shook her head at him. "Why would you even suggest something as ridiculous as marrying one of the gypsy boys?"

Danny took the tea from her and took a sip before sitting down on Agnes' arm chair. "Two reasons. Firstly, I had to see if Tommy would do anything to keep his head above water." He looked towards him and watched Tommy lift his head. "I couldn't have you thinking that you were the boss, not when your head's resting on that chopping block."

"What's your other reason?"

He looked back at his sister with a victorious smirk. "I wanted the two of you to get married. I knew that if I suggested you marrying someone else other than your darling Michael, that you'd react like this. I also couldn't wait in case Tommy stuck a knife in my back." He sipped at the tea again before setting it on the floor. He crossed one leg over the other and looked at them each in turn as they stared at him. "I remember when you were a little girl, maybe three or four. Anything I told you to do, you did the opposite. You were always determined to defy me. I would win either way, but this outcome was what I wanted."

"Why did you want us to get married? I thought you wouldn't have wanted her anywhere near the Peaky Blinders?" Michael asked through a clenched jaw.

"Because now I'm part of the family too. We're in-laws now, Michael." Danny widened his eyes and flexed his brow muscle as he laughed. "And whether you like it or not, there's honour among gypsies, ain't there, Tommy? Once two families are bonded, we don't fight each other."

Alice looked towards Tommy as the gears turned in his head. She didn't know what he was thinking, perhaps he'd take the gun out of his pocket and shoot Danny where he sat, but that would only make things worse for himself.

"You're right, but something doesn't make sense to me." He said abruptly. "Why would you take less money than what I was offering Tweedy?"

"Because I don't care about money, it's a fool's game." Danny looked around the living room and took in a deep breath. "But I will be greedy and demand that Alice signs this house over to me, if we're going to be working together in this city, then I think I should invest in some free property. It'll give my wife and kids somewhere nice to stay when I'm back and forth from Ayr."

* * *

She knew she had somewhere to call home now that her and Michael were married, but this was her mother's home and Danny knew it. He wanted this house so that he could get under her skin, his plan was working because it struck a nerve. Alice should've shot him that day on the hill, she now regretted giving him that chance to plead his case. As they investigated each other's faces, he could see that shame in her eye. She wanted to slap him but then she looked at Michael and then Tommy, she had already stalled this deal long enough and if she did it again then there would be no going back.

"Fine, the house is yours. The furniture is yours too and if you want to keep the photos too, then take them. Have whatever you want because the moment those guns make it to Pittsburgh, I'm done with you."

"Apart from your son, I'm the only blood you've got left. I think we should spend some time together, away from this city. Bring Michael and Johnny if you want, or you can come alone. It might help you heal after Agnes' suicide. The caravans are just outside the city."

She could feel tears pool in her eyes, but Alice wasn't going to cry in front of him, it would only bring him satisfaction. Instead, she swallowed back her emotions and steadied herself. "You've got what you wanted; the house is yours. I'm done here." She walked out of the house and slammed the door behind her, leaving the men to finish striking the deal.

* * *

Alice was marching towards Polly's house to collect Johnny when she heard Michael call her name as he ran behind her. She stopped in her place and turned to face him, clutching onto her cardigan for comfort. He put his arms around her, holding her tightly as he felt her heave for a breath. She was either going to erupt into tears or explode with anger.

"Once this plan is finished, I'll put a bullet in him. I don't care about gypsy honour; I wasn't raised as a gypsy."

"No, you're not going to do that." She pulled away from him and flattened out a crease in his shirt.

"Why not? He can't get away with what he's doing to you. I'm surprised that you didn't strangle him." He kissed her on the forehead and tilted her head up.

"I wanted to; it would be a great weight lifted from my back. But, if anyone's going to shoot him, it'll be me. I should've done it that day, but I won't be naive anymore." She shook her head and folded her arms across her chest. "I've to protect our family too, I have to protect Johnny and the life we've created."

"Our life together won't be changed, no matter how hard Danny tries to mess with it."

She reached up and touched his face, the corner of her lip turning up slightly. "I'm pregnant, Michael."

He furrowed his brows and gripped her loosely by the shoulders. "What? How long have you known?"

"Four weeks, give or take. But I had to make sure I was right before I said anything, then my mother passed and there was never the right time to tell you with Danny showing up and then the wedding…" she sighed and threw her arms back down by her side. "We're having a baby."

He had so many mixed emotions; he was happy that he was going to have a chance to help raise their child after missing out on so many important years with Johnny but with this imminent threat coming, it made him feel scared. He had to focus on Alice now more than ever, he wasn't going to let her get caught in the crossfire now that he was the only one other than Tommy that knew about this plan. He pulled her into a hug and rested his head on hers, he didn't want to let her go; at least in his arms, she was safe.

* * *

**A:N Let me know what you thought of Danny's plan, has he outsmarted Tommy? Now that Alice is having another baby, will grow to want Danny around, being the only sibling that she has at the moment? How do you think Michael will cope with all this news that he's had thrown at him? Thank you for supporting this story, there's still so much to come.**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twelve **

* * *

She stood by the window; her dressing gown wrapped around her frame as she watched her two boys play football in the rain. They had to leave tonight and make their way to Ayr in anticipation for the Polish to come and inspect the shipments, and it made her worry about all the things that Danny could do to mess this operation up. She was happy enough to go by herself, but Michael insisted that he joined her; he was right not to trust his brother-in-law, but he only made things more hostile. Alice knocked on the window and waved for them to come back into the warm. She met them at the bottom of the stairs, a towel for each of them in her hands.

"He's going to catch his death out there, Michael." She scolded as he helped Johnny to dry himself.

"A bit of rain never hurt anyone, isn't that right, son?"

"That's right, dad." Johnny looked up at his mother's furrowed brow and wrapped his arms around her legs. "We were only playing football, mumma. That's it."

She smiled down at his angelic face and relaxed a little. "That's okay, go get some dry clothes on and pack your bag for nanny Pol's."

* * *

Michael watched her as she leaned against the bannister, her head ducking as soon as she heard Johnny close his bedroom door. He stepped towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You look exhausted."

"I am, I can't sleep at night." She rested her head on his hand but didn't bring her eyes towards his face. "Between the nausea and the worry, it's hard to get a bit of shut eye."

"What's troubling you?"

"A lot of things."

"Well, I'm all ears." He left her side and leaned against the settee, his hands grasping onto the cushions.

"I think Danny's going to try to do something to ruin this deal."

"Tommy and I think that too, that's why I'm going. We need to keep a close eye on him." He let out a sigh and ran a hand through his soaked hair. "These Polish lads mean business; Danny knows that too… He's not stupid enough to mess this up. Danny'll have a noose belonging to him too if they don't get their guns."

She nodded, but Michael could see that something was still bothering her. When she tried to walk up the stairs, he got up from his spot and grabbed her hand, pulling her body back towards his.

"There's something else on your mind, I can tell."

"You wouldn't understand, you don't connect with your gypsy blood." She finally looked up at him, her lips pressed together; she was feeling very emotional.

"I might not understand as well as you do, but you can still talk to me about it."

After a moment of hesitation, she gave in and cracked. "I don't think my mother's spirit is happy, when I can sleep, I've been seeing her. She looks so furious with me."

"Why would she be furious with you?"

"Because I signed the house over to Danny. Her spirit lives there too. She's stuck with him."

"Poor woman." He was trying to make light of the situation, but his wife wasn't biting. "What can you do about it?"

"Get Danny out of the house."

"You know that, that won't happen, and I can guarantee you that Danny doesn't care about a restless spirit." He kissed her forehead and let her go.

"I know, that just makes things worse. This plan is going to be done soon, won't it?"

"A few months, January isn't that far away." He nodded towards the stairs and let out a breath. "Go get yourself dressed then we'll hit the road. Tommy's probably waiting by the clock."

* * *

Once Johnny was settled at Pol's, the young couple met Tommy outside his office and waited for Danny in tense silence. Michael had a feeling that Tommy wasn't as okay with their marriage as he pretended to be; he always liked knowing what was going on with the family at all times, but Alice was a wildcard and Tommy knew she had Michael wrapped around her little finger. He liked the girl, but not enough to be blindsided by her.

Tommy cleared his throat and glanced at Michael before laying his eyes on Alice; his cigarette hung loosely from his bottom lip as he said, "You're going in your brother's car, I need you to find out if he's got some plan to fuck up this whole deal." He placed a finger and thumb over his temples and applied pressure, hoping to relieve the headache that dulled his thinking. "Knowing Danny, he does."

"Are you sure that leaving Alice alone with him is a good idea?" Michael's eyes darted to his cousin. "They haven't exactly been… Familial."

"Well, he's hardly going to tell you, is he?" Tommy quipped.

"I'll find out if he's planning something. He won't hurt me, Michael," she gave him a comforting nod before looking at Tommy, "Danny will tell me if I can get a rise out of him, which is easily done."

He nodded in reply and looked towards the beaten-up car that came around the corner; it was Danny's car. "If this goes well, I'll give you your sister's address." Before either of them could say anything else, Tommy approached the car, throwing his cigarette on the wet road.

"I hope I didn't keep you all waiting," Danny smirked as he stuck his head out through the window, "we've a long drive ahead."

"No, we're early." Tommy replied as Danny's smirk faded. "Alice is going to go in your car, Michael's coming with me."

"Why's he coming? I thought we were all going to fit in the one car." He stared at his brother-in-law, knowing exactly how his glare was making him feel; furious.

"Michael's my accountant, the only one I trust with my money. An accountant will need to be there to talk money, Danny." He said as if he was stating the obvious.

"Right Alice, into the car." Danny rolled up the window quickly and watched his sister as she fixed Michael's blazer and whisper something in his ear. Growing impatient, he honked his horn at her, making her jump.

"Is there a need to be such an asshole?" she said as she climbed into the car.

"No, but it's fun."

* * *

They had been driving through the early hours of the morning and by the time the sun started to rise, they had made it to the Scottish border. The drive was in almost complete silence; Alice did appease him and answered the nonchalant questions he threw her way, but she had no idea how she was going to find out information. She was just going to be blunt and ask him outright, she couldn't see another way.

"You're not planning on messing this up for Tommy, are you?" she looked at him as he kept his eyes on the road. His face didn't twitch, not once.

"Why would you think that?"

"It's you, Danny. Can you blame me for being worried?"

"If you want to get technical, I'm part of the Shelby-Gray family now and you know the gypsy code."

"Like you care about family." She threw herself deeper into the uncomfortable car seat and rested her head against the window.

"What makes you think that I don't care about family? I care about you." When Alice scoffed at him, he turned his head towards her and raised a brow. "Of course, I care, you're my sister. I know I haven't been the best brother and I know I've caused a riff in this new life you've created for yourself and Johnny but that doesn't mean I don't love you." When her eyes met his, he looked away and tilted his head slightly. "How did you expect me to react when the first time I saw you again after a decade or so apart, you hold a gun to my head?"

"You showed up at my mother's grave!"

"It's father's grave too! I go once a month and yes, I heard about your mum and wanted to see you and Johnny; I mean he's four or five now and I had never saw him. I can't help it if the words that come out of my mouth that day made me sound like a prick."

"It wasn't just your words that day, it was the letters you sent and your want to be involved in this plan."

"Little sister, you have no idea what these Peakys are like. It was my way of trying to protect you."

She rolled her eyes then squeezed them shut. "I don't need you to protect me."

"You may think that, but we'll see." They fell into a lull of silence for a moment before Danny finally admitted, "And I don't have anything planned."

"Promise me, because it's not just going to be Tommy and Michael that the Polish will target; it'll be you and me… Johnny…" she took in gasp of air and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "And I'm pregnant, Danny. So, if they kill me, it's not just me."

He kept one hand on the steering wheel and placed the other on his chest. "Hand on my heart, I've nothing planned."

She glanced at him and nodded, she believed him; Danny wasn't a good person, but he wouldn't let children die. "I'm trusting you to keep this quiet, about me being pregnant. I've only told Michael."

"How far along are you?"

"A month, roughly. Could be more but I've known for a month."

"Congratulations. Get some sleep while you can, we'll be at Ayr in a few hours."

He watched Alice from the corner of his eye as she wrapped her coat around her body, curling up underneath it as she tried to get comfortable. He was feeling good; it was the first conversation they had like siblings and she was starting to trust him. Danny hated being hated by her, but he didn't know how else to act; their father left him with the gypsies instead of raising him with Alice, he didn't know how else to look out for someone that wasn't himself. If he could only get her to give him a chance, he would try to stop being a thorn in her side.

* * *

They were going to work out the nitty gritty details of this plan at the docks; it would give the Polish the perfect opportunity to see the merchandise that was agreed upon in a place that made Tommy and Danny feel confident. Alice left to set up a room with the documents and contracts as the men boarded the vessel loaded with the guns. Danny took control and showed Igor and Peter around his newly acquired ship with a sense of pride, but it wasn't long before Tommy reigned him back in.

"As you can see, the guns are ready to travel to New York once we get the all clear." Tommy started as he watched the two Polish men inspect the cargo. He couldn't tell if they were impressed or not, but they weren't showing any signs of putting a bullet in his head, so he was happy enough. "My associate, Michael Gray will be in the meeting to discuss how you're going to transfer the funds over to Shelby Company Limited."

"We don't use accountants." Peter said, peeling his eyes away from their guns. "Accountants can't be trusted…"

"…Ask too many questions." Igor elaborated as he stared Michael down with a raised brow.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to be asking you any questions, I'm just here to work out how we get paid." He replied as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"And what about you?" he looked at Danny and folded his arms across his chest. "Are you the tour guide?"

"No, I'm the one delivering your guns on my ship. I'm the one getting them into America without getting inspected because of my papers, so no… I'm not a tour guide." Danny said a little bitterly, copying Igor's stance.

Tommy looked over his shoulder at Danny, shaking his head slightly. "So, what do you think? Are you satisfied enough?"

Peter and Igor shared a blank look before nodding. "We'll discuss money and contracts inside over a drink."

"Great, let's get inside then." Tommy said as he rubbed his hands together, hoping that a bit of heat would return to them.

* * *

She kept her back against the wall as she listened to the group of men walking down the hallway, making small talk amongst themselves. Michael was the first to enter the room with Tommy and Danny behind him. He looked at her and shot her a wink and a raise of his brow as he took his seat at the table. Then she lay eyes on the Polish men that they were getting into business with and as their eyes widened at the sight of her, she felt an uneasiness shift in her gut.

"I hope you don't mind my secretary being here. Alice has hold of the contracts." Tommy said as he pulled his chair closer to the table.

"Not at all." Igor replied as he sat across from Tommy.

Peter's eyes followed Alice as she moved around the table, pouring drinks for everyone. "Gives us all something to look at."

Danny cracked his knuckles irritably and downed his drink quickly, snapping his fingers at Alice to pour him another. "So, what made you guys want to get into bed with the Peaky Blinders then?"

"Changretta was a son of a bitch that we all wanted rid of back on the East Coast; I guess you could say that we're showing our appreciation." Igor explained plainly.

Tommy clenched his fist under the table, desperately wishing that Danny would shut his mouth, but he realised that he liked the sound of his own voice and it would be difficult to silence him.

"Then, if they're Peakys, what do you call yourselves?"

"We've got many names, but 'Flatheads' has stuck. Heard of us?"

"Unfortunately, I've an old friend that left here to join you. Know a Paul Jarowski by any chance?"

"Danny," Tommy finally interrupted, drawing everyone's attention back to him, "we're here to talk business."

"Fine, I'll stop talking then." Danny sighed, his eyes drifting to his sister as she took her seat beside Tommy.

"Great, Alice will you read out the contract for our associates."

She cleared her throat and placed her hand on the back of her neck, keeping her eyes on the pages in front of her. "Shelby Company Limited will provide thirty machine guns and forty-six rifles, per the request of Paul Jarowski of the Flathead group in the East Coast. Upon the arrival of the guns, a sum of five thousand pounds will be paid to Shelby Company Limited and an additional three thousand pounds will be paid to Danny Finlay for the cost of using his dock and ships to deliver the goods and also for the security of having the goods remaining unchecked on both sides of the Atlantic."

"So far, so good?" Tommy asked as he watched Michael scribble the numbers down in his ledger.

Peter made a noise and agreed after a moment of consideration.

"Paul sent the two of you?" Danny looked at the two men and ran his fingers across his stubble.

"Your friend has moved up in the world Mr Finlay." Peter retorted with a smirk, glancing briefly in his direction before taking a pen out from his pocket. "Where do we sign?"

"My secretary will sign as witness first," Tommy watched her sign along one of the dotted lines before he took the contract from her and handed it over, "just sign below it."

"Now the only matter to discuss is how the five thousand pound will be paid to the Shelby Company." Michael said after taking a sip from his glass.

"It'll be paid cash, no paper trail. We have the money here, but it will be handed over to both parties once we get confirmation that the guns have been delivered."

"I will have to verify that all the money is accounted for before anything is passed over."

"Naturally."

"Then our business is done here." Tommy got up from the table and buttoned up his blazer.

"We'll be in touch Mr Shelby."

* * *

Once the Polish had left the building, Tommy leaned on the table, his hands holding him up as he stared down at the wood beneath him. He felt relief, things were still on track, but he could sense that something wasn't sitting well with Danny and he needed appeased.

"What was with all the questions?"

"Remember what I said to you about the Polish fella that mistook me for an IRA man? That was Paul. Whatever he's planning on doing with those guns will bite us all in the ass."

"The guns can't be traced back to us, can they?" Alice looked at Michael and then to Tommy. "Can they?"

"No, the guns that we're supplying them with are guns that were brought over by Changretta's gang. I'm not that thick." He stood up straight and locked eyes with Danny. "Is working with your old friend going to be a problem?"

Danny shook his head as he leaned back into his chair. "As long as we get our money, everything will be fine and dandy, Shelby."

"What do you mean by that?" Michael asked as he got up from his chair, slowly moving towards his wife.

"Paul wasn't always known as the most trustworthy person back in the day. Alice will tell you, when we get a gut instinct, we're usually right about it." He smiled when her head snapped towards him, her eyes squinted and twitching. "You felt it too, didn't you?"

She tensed up under Michael's hands as they landed on her shoulders. Michael already knew her answer because he could feel the heat of her skin through her dress. She had her doubts, and if she did, he couldn't ignore it.

"We need a back up plan, Tommy." He said as he looked to his cousin.

"We'll discuss this when we get back to Birmingham. Monday morning, so keep your diary free." He ran his hand along his face, fearing that Danny was actually talking a bit of sense for a change. Tommy wasn't going to allow himself to be blindsided, he needed to Polish watched closely. "Let's get home, shall we?"

* * *

**A:N Will this deal between the Peakys and the Flatheads work out? Can Danny be trusted? Next chapter Alice will finally meet her sister and Tommy will find out more information about the Flatheads. I wanted to use a real life gang from the same time that this story is set in and put my own spin on history. I hope it pays off! Thank you for reading this story and thanks for all the support!**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Thirteen**

* * *

She had never been so happy to be back in Birmingham, mostly because she wouldn't have to sit knee to knee with Danny, listening to him ramble on about Tommy and his dastardly plans. If she had of listened to her brother, she would've heard how he used to be; cruel and uncaring, doing anything for a few shillings. The Tommy he knew was the polar opposite to the one she saw. Alice got to see the family man, the MP. Tommy would stay on her good side as long as he didn't jeopardise the life she and Michael had created.

Danny followed her out of the car, almost escorting her back to her husband and his cousin, but before she could get any closer to them, he gripped her by the wrist and swung her round until their eyes were level. Alice didn't know what to do, if she pulled her arm away then Michael would think he's threatening her and spring into action but if she kept it in his grasp, Danny would think that it was okay to treat her like his property.

"Let go of my arm, please." She said calmly, surprised that he did what she said. She clasped her hands in front of her and raised a brow. "What do you want?"

"Have you thought about bringing Johnny up to the camp?" the way Alice rolled her eyes at his request irritated him, but he couldn't show it. "Don't you want him to meet his cousins? Blood is blood."

"Johnny knows nothing about gypsies and caravans…"

"Then let him get to know it. Dad would'a wanted his grandson to see how he grew up."

"Don't," Alice warned him with a look, "Don't use dad to get me to do what you want me to do."

"For what it's worth, it's the truth and you'd like my wife. Theresa is a good woman, you'd like her."

Alice looked over her shoulder at Michael as he and Tommy had a smoke. His eyes never wavered from her as she spoke with Danny and it only added to the pressure that her brother put on her.

"If it means that we can have peace, then I don't see the harm."

Danny followed her gaze towards Michael and threw him a victorious smirk. "You can bring your lover boy with you, if he's man enough to step into my turf."

"Don't speak like that, Danny." She shook her head at him and made her way towards her husband.

"Okay, I apologise." Danny wasn't stupid, he could see that if he bad-mouthed Michael that it would push Alice even further away. "Sunday morning, it'll be easy to find." He called out as he slipped his hands under his braces, watching as Michael sniffed round her like a lap dog. He was going to drive a wedge between the couple, and he hoped that it would break them. He thought that she deserved better than a Peaky; she needed to return to her roots.

* * *

"What did he want?" Michael asked her as he placed his arm around her shoulder, his cigarette pinched between his teeth.

"We'll talk about it when we get home, okay?" she looked towards Tommy and noticed how he watched them so closely. "Have you any idea what we're going to do as a backup?"

"I'm going to have to call a family meeting, pick Pol's brain about this." He reached into his blazer pocket and held a crisp envelope in between his middle and forefinger, taunting Alice with it for a moment. "As promised, your sister's address."

She grabbed it off him and stared at the outside, fighting with herself to open it and look. She was nervous. Scared, even. What if this woman would hate her? Living in her little bubble with Michael and Johnny kept her content but now that she had this information, it would eat away at her. So, she opened it and read over the scribbled down address.

"Nora's in Essex?" Alice didn't lift her head from the page, re reading the few lines over and over until it was imprinted in her mind.

"Nora Prescott-Maxwell married rich and her husband died young. No kids or pets so she's still got plenty of money and parties as if she's still in her twenties." He informed her.

"Was she easy to find?"

"Very, apparently she's been looking for you too. Not hard enough might I add but at least there's some effort there."

Her eyes flitted from to page to Michael's face, a glimmer of hope appeared in her smile. "We've got to go, Michael."

"Do you need me for this meeting, Tom?"

"I'd prefer if you were there, yeah."

Michael looked down at his wife sympathetically, she had a fair idea what he was going to say, and he could see how disappointed she was. "He needs me here, Alice." He whispered; his arms rested on the tops of her arms. When he could see a tear form in her eye, he looked up at his cousin and threw away his cigarette. "Give us a moment, Tommy."

* * *

"Nora's been looking for me, Michael." She waited for Tommy to go inside before she said, "What happened to 'Fuck Tommy and his plans'?"

"That was when he wanted to marry you off to some gypsy lad. I want to go with you, but I can't Alice. He's family."

"I am your wife, Michael. I have done everything that Tommy has asked to make sure this plan of his works, the least he could do for me is let you come and support me as I meet the sister I didn't find out about until a little over a month ago." Alice could see that he was torn between her and the rest of his family, and she didn't know if he'd pick her.

"Alice," he sighed, throwing his hands up as he stared down at her frustrated face, "I've got to be at this meeting."

"Then Johnny and I will get the train by ourselves." She folded her coat tightly around her frame and pressed her lips together for a moment. "Enjoy your meeting."

Before he could say another word, she turned on her heel and marched towards Pol's house. He was a little surprised by her, he didn't know if it was this city, the family or the ring on her finger that toughened her up, but whatever it was, he knew that he wasn't going to get away with anything anymore.

* * *

He could barely concentrate on what Tommy was saying, his mum told him that Alice came into her house like a beaten bear and whisked Johnny away without saying a word. Michael didn't want to be here, he wanted to be on that train; but Tommy would've killed him if he didn't attend and he used to give Arthur a hard time when Linda stopped him from getting involved with the family business. He was just going to have to suck it up and prepare to make it up to Alice when she gets home.

"Now, Danny Finlay says he's had a run in with this Paul fella before and he can't be trusted. So, now that all of you are caught up, we need to plan for a betrayal." Tommy leaned against the table; his fingers pressed against the wood. "Anyone got any ideas?" his question was directed to everyone in the room, but his eyes fixated on Pol's.

"How do we know that Danny Finlay's word is legit?" she asked as she lit up a cigarette.

"Because Danny started rambling on about gypsy blood and gut feelings and although I don't trust his gut, I trust Alice's. She had the feeling that something wasn't right."

"What if the Polish were legit but Danny wasn't? Did you think of that, Tom?" Arthur asked, looking to Pol for back up. "I get that it's Alice's kin and all, but the girl held a gun to the back of his head. She doesn't trust him either."

"I got her to ride in the car with him and she assures me that he doesn't have anything planned."

"But I think we should have a back up against him too," Pol retorted, "he's harbouring a grudge against this family and he's pushed his way in using my son and my grandson for some reason."

Michael looked at his mother as something clicked in his mind. "Danny doesn't want to fuck up this deal because he's going to be getting paid too and he wants Alice to see that he's trustworthy,"

"So, what do you think he's doing? Trying to get into the family business?" Tommy asked with a raised brow.

"No, he wants to blow our family up from the inside. He forced my hand which led to us running away to get married, hoping that it would piss you off. Now, he's got Alice speaking to him again and I think he's going to try to pull us apart so that, I don't know, out of spite maybe, Alice tells him all our secrets."

"He's the type that would try and be sneaky, Tom." Arthur agreed, resting back into his chair. "If I were you, Michael, I'd keep that wife of yours keen."

"Alice ain't going to leave, she wouldn't."

"She wasn't too happy when she picked Johnny up, and you said that Danny had pulled her to the side, Tommy." Pol looked at Michael expecting him to answer her and give an explanation, but he just stared at the table; his leg shaking, and his arms folded. "Are you two having problems? Did Danny say something to Alice today?"

Michael let out an exhausted breath, but he still didn't answer any of the questions and it was starting to get on Tommy's nerves.

* * *

"Michael, are you and Alice already having troubles or what?"

"No, we're not having troubles. She's emotional because she hasn't had the chance to grieve her mother properly, she's trying to help you with this plan and Danny's stressing her out, which she doesn't need in her condition. And to top it off, she wanted me to go with her to her sister's and I couldn't because of this meeting which set her off." Michael rambled as he stared into his cousin's judgemental eyes.

"What do you mean by 'her condition'? Is Alice sick?" Pol asked, leaning over the table to grab Michael's arm.

"She's pregnant, mum. We're having another kid." When he looked at her and saw the grin that appeared, he lightened up a bit and looked to Arthur and Tommy. "So, we don't need to worry about Alice betraying our trust."

"Well, I think this calls for a celebration at the Garrison." Arthur jumped out of his seat and banged his hands off the table.

"Couldn't agree more, when Alice gets back from Essex, we will fill her in about Danny and plan for the Polish." Tommy stepped around the table, placing a firm hand on Michael's shoulder as he waited for everyone to clear out of the room. "Congratulations and look after her, enjoy these next few months because coming from experience, they go far too fast."

"I already missed out on one, I'm not missing another." He looked up at Tommy, noticing the joy and sadness in his eyes. "I need her sister's address, Tommy. I wanted to be on that train with her so badly,"

"I'll get it for you, and I'll have a drink for you at the Garrison."

* * *

By the time the train got to Essex, it was far too late for her to show up at Nora's door after all this time. They checked into a hotel room and prepared themselves for the night. As she waited for the bath water to cool down for Johnny, she sat him on the edge of the bed, tucking his hair behind his ears and tried to explain to him what was happening.

"In the morning, you and I are going to meet mummy's sister."

"I didn't know mumma had a sister."

"Neither did I until a few weeks ago."

"What's her name?"

"Her name is Nora and she lives here in Essex."

"Is she Uncle Danny's sister too?"

Alice rested her hand on his cheek and scrunched up her face as she tried her best to simplify things for him. "No, you know how Danny has a different mum from me but the same dad? Well, Nora has a different dad from me, but we had the same mum. So, Danny and Nora aren't related at all." She took her hand away from his face and pushed herself back onto her feet. "Speaking of your Uncle Danny, how would you feel about going to the caravans? You'd be able to play with the cousins you haven't met yet."

"I have cousins?" Johnny was excited about the prospect of playing with other kids.

There was a knock at the door. "From what I know, you have plenty of them." She said as she stepped towards it. When she opened the door, her face dropped slightly, and her brow raised. "Michael, what are you doing here?"

"You want me here, I wanted to be here… At least you did and I'm hoping you still do." He leaned against the door frame, glancing in at Johnny. "Hello Johnny."

"Hi dad!" he said excitedly, running towards the door.

Alice opened the door wider and let Johnny leap into his father's arms, laughing as Michael squeezed him tightly. "Of course, I want you here." She watched them for a second before checking on the bath water once more. "How'd you even find us?"

"I checked every hotel along the way." He rested his son back on his feet and pulled Alice onto hers. "Go get yourself comfortable, I'll bath Johnny and put him to bed."

Alice placed her hand over her mouth, showing her tiredness with a yawn. "I'll not say no to that, perhaps you'll feel generous enough to fill one up for me too?"

Michael took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves, sitting by the steel bath as he waited for Johnny to get in. "I'm sure I could manage that."

* * *

Once he was dried and in bed, Johnny could barely keep his eyes open. Alice watched over him until he was asleep before closing his door over slightly and stepping back into their room. She stepped into the bath and submerged herself as much as she could in the roasting water while Michael hung his jacket and shirt up.

"How was the big family meeting?" she asked as she poured a cup of water over her hair and down her back.

"Well, we all came to agreement that we have to be careful with the Polish, but our biggest concern is Danny." He sat beside the tub; his arm rested against the rim.

"Why is he a concern? He told me that he wasn't planning anything."

"I know, but I think he's going to try and use you to ruin this family."

"I don't think so, Michael." She shook her head and stretched out her legs. "I know I told you that I didn't really want to tell anyone about this baby yet, but I told him that I was pregnant. It was the only way I could get anything out of him. So, I don't think he'll do anything to us."

Michael nodded and looked away from her. "I hope you're right and I told my family our news too."

"What? So, everyone knows now?"

"Everyone except Johnny."

"I just want him to be excited about being a big brother."

"He will be, he's a caring kid. Takes after you in that respect."

Alice reached over and took his hand; she knew everything about his childhood, and she knew that Michael wanted his son to be nothing like him. "You care too, you wouldn't have drove all this way if you didn't." When he kissed the back of her hand and flashed a tiny smile at her, she got out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her body. "How did they manage to get our news out of you? You don't usually crack so easily."

He moved from the floor to the edge of the bed, watching her as she moved around the room. "My mum and Tommy thought we were having troubles. Probably thought that you'd leave me."

She laughed and spun around, snatching another towel to dry her hair. "Did you think I was going to leave?"

"No, I'd like to think that our marriage is strong enough to handle an argument and that you'd want me to be around for this baby."

She clipped her hair up and slipped into her sleeping gown, glancing over her shoulder at her husband. "I've got you back in my life again, I'm not letting anyone get in between us anymore." She stepped over to him and placed herself on his lap, her legs wrapped around him.

"This time around, I'll be harder to get rid of." He let his fingertips fall down her back, tracing little lines and circles through the thin fabric.

"Well, we'll have our chance to see if Danny's trying to split us. I'm taking him up on his offer to go to his caravans," she placed her hand on his chest and pushed him flat onto the mattress, peering above him with a smirk, "and you're going. No ifs or buts."

* * *

**A:N I know I've been updating a little slower than normally, but I hope to get the next chapter out a lot sooner. We'll finally get to meet Nora, what do you think she'll be like? How will she react to Alice, Michael and Johnny? Will Danny's plan succeed? Can he drive a wedge between the duo? Thank you so much for reading this and for all the support!**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

Neither of them had saw a house so big or so pristine white in their lives. It was like a castle with a beautiful functioning fountain outside the front door. He glanced over at Alice, sniggering as he watched her dropped jaw. This didn't surprise him, he knew wealth like this existed in the world, he was lucky to be able to provide Alice and Johnny with a portion of this wealth. He reached over and pulled her hands away from each other as her fingers poked and worked on the skin at the side of her nails nervously. "Looks like we're here, are you ready?"

She nodded and fussed over Johnny's hair for a second. "I'm as ready as I could be."

"Look, Tommy said she's been looking for you too, she'll be as nervous as you are."

"Maybe, let's just get out of the car before I change my mind and make you take me back."

He laughed and opened his door. "I ain't leaving until you meet your sister, plus I think Johnny's really excited. Aren't you mate?" Michael slid out of the car and helped Johnny out.

"Do you think your sister will let me play in the water?" he asked giddily.

"I don't think so baby." Alice looked out her window at the house and swallowed back her nerves. This is what her mother wanted, she wanted this too. Knowing that she had another sibling, Alice wouldn't be able to walk away from her even though introducing herself to Nora was one of the scariest things in her mind.

"You'll be okay." Michael tried his best to soothe her, taking a hold of her hand and lacing his fingers with hers.

"Yeah, I hope so." She replied as she stepped up to the door, her hand hovering over the doorbell. When Michael nudged her, she took the plunge and pushed the button, standing back to wait for the appearance of her sister.

* * *

When the door opened, Alice expected to come face to face with her sister but instead she was facing a man who appeared to be in his late sixties, impeccably dressed and staring at her with a raised brow.

"Uh, hello. I'm looking for Nora Prescott-Maxwell. Is this her house?" she said meekly.

"This is the madam's residence. May I ask who is calling for her?" his accent was very posh, it made Michael want to laugh.

"My name is Alice Gray, I'm Nora's sister."

"Come in," he held the door for them, keeping a close eye on them as they stepped into the foyer, "this way." He called out as he marched down a long corridor that was lined with portraits and paintings.

"Are we in a museum?" Johnny asked innocently as he stared at all the artwork in awe.

"No, this is Nora's home." Alice whispered. She couldn't blame the child for asking, she was almost thinking the same thing herself.

* * *

The man drew back two solid oak doors which revealed a large living area decked out with fancy furniture and exotic looking plants. Lounging on one of the sofas was Nora, a wine glass in one hand and the bottle in the other. She didn't realise anyone was there until the man cleared his throat, clearly startling her.

"Samuel, what have I said about disturbing my happy hour?" she complained as she swung her legs round. "Who are these people and why are they in my house?"

"Madam, this woman is claiming to be your sister."

Nora's eyes squinted as she looked over the plain looking Alice as she held onto her son's shoulders. Then her eyes roamed to Michael and her brow raised. "What is your name?"

"Alice Gray, but I'm recently married. My maiden name was Finlay." Alice cleared her throat quietly, a hand moving to her chest; her sister looked so much like her mother except her hair was very blonde and she wore plenty of make-up, but her face shocked her. "I was told that you were searching for me too."

Nora got onto her feet and that was when they noticed she was wearing a decadent, silk robe. Pristine white, like her house. She stepped towards the family, her eyes moving from Johnny to his parents before her face cracked into a grin. "You have no idea how glad I am that you came. Samuel, give us some privacy please." She waved them into the room and motioned for them to sit on one of the sofas. "Would you care for some sherry?" she reached over to a large crystal decanter and poured herself a glass before shaking the liquid towards Alice and Michael.

"No, we're not really sherry people." Michael looked down at Alice as she rolled her eyes at him. "I'll take a whiskey if you've got it."

"Oh no, no. I don't keep whiskey in this house. Not since my Henry died." She took a long sip from her glass and settled into her seat, her eyes roaming towards Johnny once more. "Are you my nephew?"

Johnny was starting to feel shy; he had been excited that morning but now that he was standing in this house, he didn't know how to feel. He just nodded at Nora and clung to his father's leg.

"I always loved kids, wanted a big massive family…" Nora trailed off into her own thoughts, staring into space as she kept her glass of sherry pressed against her chest before finishing it quickly. "Enough about me, I'm sure you have a lot of questions for me."

"Only if you want to answer them, I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable."

Nora flashed her a smile and shook her head. "I offered, ask whatever you want."

"Okay, well… Tommy, my husband's cousin told me that you had been looking for me as well. How long have you known that your parents weren't your birth parents?"

"I've known my whole life. They didn't think it was right for me to not know."

"So, why only start looking for me now?"

"I've been looking for years, although I must admit, not really that hard. It wasn't until my parents and then my husband died that I decided that I should seek you and my birth mother out." She gazed off into the distance, her lips curling down into a frown. "You don't realise how important family is until you have no one."

* * *

Alice ducked her head, her eyes closing as she too knew what it was like to lose family. Although she hadn't let herself mourn her mother's death, she felt that it was only right that Nora knew what happened to their mother, even though it caused her so much pain to think about that night all over again.

"There's something I ought to tell you, Nora. Our mother died just over a month ago." Michael's warm hand grasped hers and it brought a little comfort, but not enough to stop her tears from falling.

"Oh Alice, I'm so sorry to hear that." She fell into her seat, sinking in as she watched her sister's tears fall onto her lap. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to her?"

"She was in a lot of pain, she had lung cancer, but it all got too much for her and she…" Alice turned her head towards Michael's body, letting him pull her head into his chest.

Nora tutted sympathetically and watched as Michael and their young son pandered over Alice. A pang of jealousy coursed through her, but she ignored those feelings. "Such a waste of life. At least we have each other now, to lean on in times of crisis. God knows I could've used you a year ago."

Alice dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve and looked towards Nora, noticing her own pain oozing from her. "You're not alone anymore, you don't have to face anything alone if you don't want to."

She smiled slightly, nodding towards her sister. "I appreciate that." She was silent for a moment, not really sure what to say next. "How about I give you a tour of the house?" She launched herself back onto her feet and motioned for the Grays to follow her into the large hallway once more.

* * *

"My husband, Henry built this house from the ground up. He was one of those new money sorts; spent most of his early years in London working on the stock markets and selling shares. He could sell you anything that man." She said as she led them upstairs to a large portrait of her late husband. He had a handlebar moustache, dark piercing eyes and the fanciest suit on him. Nora looked at it with a sense of pride before turning to Alice, Michael and Johnny. "My parents loathed him, they were well off themselves, but they always wanted me to marry a duke or someone that could get them closer to the patriarchy. It was hard to tell them that I lived for swanky parties with hotshots and swindlers."

"Michael works with money." Alice commented as Nora continued up the stairs.

"Are you a swindler, Michael?"

Michael looked at his wife as he rested Johnny on his hip, his eyes widening and his brows arching. Alice just shrugged back at him innocently. "No, I work with accounts, business accounts."

"So, you're a banker."

"It's very rarely that you'll see me in a bank." He replied with a smirk, it was best to keep Nora as oblivious to him as possible.

"And do you work, Alice?"

"I'm a secretary, I'm actually Tommy's secretary."

"Oh, the cousin, is this a family affair?" Nora raised her brow and leaned against the wall. "How do you feel about sharing your wife with your cousin?"

It was easy to tell now that Nora had been drinking long before they had arrived and now that it was starting to show, he didn't know what to think of her. "Well I do Tommy's accounts too and Alice tends to spend all the time she can with me."

"Oh, I was only joking Michael," she reached over and slapped him on the shoulder before looking at Alice and pulling a face, "is he always this serious?"

"Not normally," Alice looked over her shoulder at him and glanced at Johnny, "perhaps we should have some time alone to get to know each other better."

"Away from the boys." Nora laughed as she opened one of the many doors in the hallway. "Does Johnny like horses?"

"I love horses!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down on his father's hip.

"I have a few beautiful thoroughbreds in the stables, tell Stanley to take you there while we catch up." She disappeared into the room, leaving the door open for Alice.

* * *

She stepped towards Michael, placing her hand on the back of Johnny's head. "What's going on?" she kept her voice low in case Nora was eavesdropping.

"She's fond of the drink, ain't she?"

"She's had a hard time by the sounds of it."

"So have you, but you don't get blinded."

Alice's eyes roamed away from his face, Michael didn't realise how much Alice was struggling and it was okay that he didn't notice, she was trying to hide it and she was doing it well. She had to hold herself together for Johnny and their unborn baby, but there were many nights since her mother's death that she wanted to drown her sorrows.

"I'm hoping that I can give her a reason to stop using sherry as a means of escape; perhaps a shoulder to cry on will be enough for her."

He rolled his eyes slightly before giving her a quick kiss. "You're so hopeful, but so naive." He looked down at his son and tried his best to sound excited. "Let's see these horses, shall we?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Bye mumma!" he squealed as he grinned over Michael's shoulder, waving frantically at Alice as they moved down the staircase.

* * *

She stepped into the bedroom, her eyes widening at the sight of all the silk and splendour that filled the room. Nora was lying on the large bed with her hands over her eyes and that's when Alice noticed the half empty bottle of sherry by the bedside. Silently, she sat beside her and placed her hand on Nora's shoulder, making her jump.

"Oh Alice, I didn't hear you come in." Nora pushed herself up and wrapped her robe a little tighter around her curvy frame.

"Are you okay, Nora?"

"Yes, yes I'm fine darling."

"Are you sure?" Alice pressed, her hand remaining on her sister's shoulder. "You can talk to me if you want." Nora remained silent and Alice knew that the only way she could get her to open up and talk was if she made her feel more comfortable. She was going to have to share more about herself. "You know, I haven't really been coping well with our mother's death, my father died a few years ago and that brought us closer. She helped me raise Johnny because I got pregnant with him when I was seventeen and although Michael's the father, we only got married a month ago." Alice ducked her head, ready for the judgement that was heading her way.

"How come you only got married a month ago? Has he been around Johnny's whole life?" she turned her body towards Alice and watched her intently.

"Michael didn't know that I was pregnant, and he knew nothing about Johnny until we found our way back to each other."

"I'm sure seeing him for the first time was difficult."

"Oh you have no idea, I'm so glad that we reconnected again because I didn't realise how much Johnny would need a father. He's a happier child now, he was always happy, but Michael's made him more adventurous."

"If you could go back in time, would you change anything? I mean, would you want Michael to be there the whole time?"

"I think I'll always have regrets that Michael didn't get all those precious moments when Johnny was a baby, but I had my reasons for hiding my pregnancy from him."

"Like what?"

"Well our mum and my dad were ready for killing whoever knocked me up and I really liked him and didn't want him to get killed." Alice smiled when Nora laughed and watched how her body language changed drastically.

"Was our mother vicious when she got angry?"

"Vicious would be an understatement, she had the worst temper."

"That must be where I get it from, my parents were the most placid people you could meet. But money means you don't have any worries and that's probably why they were never really angry."

"I don't want to pry, but how did they die?"

"My father was the first to die, he had a massive heart attack. He was a fat man, so it was only a matter of time. My mother on the other hand, I think she died of a broken heart." Nora reached behind her and lifted her bottle, holding the bottle to her mouth as she said, "At least they'll forever be together. Not even death could separate them."

* * *

Alice watched her take a drink and wondered how she had the strength to carry on with her life; she knew that if her whole world came crashing down around her like Nora's had and if she had no one around her, she wouldn't be able to carry on. A couple of drinks wouldn't get her through her days alone.

"How do you do it? How do you carry on?" Alice asked seriously. "If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't be able to."

Nora tilted her head and let out a sigh. "Some mornings, I think about it but then I think about the people watching me and I know that they'd be disappointed if I just gave up on life. Part of me has, that's why I sit in my house all day and drink, but I still want to carry on." She put her bottle down on the floor and took Alice's hands instead. "I can see the pain in your eyes, our mother meant so much to you, but I don't think you've mourned her."

"I haven't let myself, sometimes when I cry over her, I'm scared I won't stop. I keep those emotions subdued."

Nora shook her head, squeezing Alice's hands tightly. "Cry and scream if you have to. Get those emotions out of your body and move onto the next stage of grief or you'll never get over it. If you had have met me a few months ago, I don't think we'd be having this conversation. I was a mess, all I did was cry and then one day, I stopped. Yes, I have a drink a few times a day, but my grief is gone. It's the loneliness that kills me."

"You don't have to be lonely anymore, not if you don't want to. Visit me, visit your nephew in Birmingham."

"You don't want me in your life, I'll just mess with the balance of things."

"I wouldn't offer if I didn't. Just think about it."

They just smiled at each other, their hands gripped together as they came to an understanding; they were what each other needed, someone to speak freely with, with no repercussions.

* * *

Michael stepped out of the stables after Johnny when he heard Alice's footsteps approaching. She seemed different, like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders and he could tell by the puffiness of her eyes that she had been crying. He placed his hand on her arm, moving it down towards hers.

"You okay, Alice?"

She nodded and entwined her fingers with his. "I'm fine, I needed this."

"What do you mean by 'this'?"

"Nora thinks I need to mourn my mother and she's right. I've been holding in all these feelings and it's been stopping me from moving on."

"It's partly my fault, I should've known to give you that time. Let you have some time to yourself and take Johnny away for a few hours." He started to feel guilty, with everything that had been going on with the Polish and the pregnancy, he forgot that he hadn't really saw Alice cry since the funeral.

"Don't blame yourself, I've been throwing myself at things, trying to keep busy." She kissed him on the cheek then ruffled Johnny's hair playfully. She let out a content sigh and fell into Michael's side as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, both slowly following Johnny back to the car at the front of the house. "I will get over this one day."

"Everyone deals with death differently; I'll be there for you when you want to face it."

"You and Johnny will make things easier, the two of you are my world and soon enough I'll have another to add to that." She looked up at him, taking in his face with a small smirk. "I need to deal with this before we have this baby."

"Take however long you need because we'll get through this together, as a family."

* * *

**A:N Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed seeing Nora and Alice connect over something that they both have in common. They won't be all doom and gloom, but I feel like it was necessary for Alice to realise that she had been running away from her feelings towards her mother's death. In the next chapter I'm going to focus on Danny and Alice as she tries to see if he's going to betray Tommy, maybe throw in a few extra twists. Thank you again for reading and all the support!**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Fifteen**

* * *

She had tried to take the time alone to mourn her mother but isolating herself wasn't doing her or her family any good. It was only preventing her from letting her emotions out because she didn't want to scare Johnny or make him upset. Pol was their saving grace, she kept Johnny at her house and made sure he got to school on time as Michael and Alice travelled to Agnes' grave in the countryside. They made the journey in silence, it was hard for her to find words; her thoughts had been scrambled since meeting Nora and now here she was, taking her advice and confronting her grief. She knew that it was going to be worse than when her father died; she had spent years with just her mother, moving about from place to place and she cared for her before her death. Alice had no illusions that it was going to be easy, she just didn't think that getting over her mother would be this difficult.

He stayed in the car, watching from afar as she made her way to the two little gravestones that resided on top of the hill. She knelt in front of her father's grave for a moment to pay her respects before sitting on the wet grass in front of her mother's headstone. The wind ruffled her hair as she thought about what she was about to say.

* * *

A small smile crossed her lips. "I know for a fact that I let you down the last time I was here, you would've wanted me to shoot Danny." She placed her hand on the cold stone and closed her eyes as she tried to find some sort of connection to her mother's spirit and when she felt it, she crumbled. "I've thought about what I'd say when I got here for days, and all I can manage to say is that I'm so sorry that I wasn't there for your final moments, I was so selfish towards the end. I know you pushed for me to make things work with Michael for Johnny's sake, but I could've stopped you… And I'm so angry at you because of what you did, because we're having another baby and this one will never get to hold you like Johnny did or listen to your bedtime stories." She took in a jagged breath and wiped her tears away with the back of her free hand. "But I did what you asked regardless of how I really feel towards you, and I met Nora. She could've used your advice; she hasn't had it easy either. And her eyes, they're exactly like yours. It made it very hard to look at her without thinking about you."

She let go of the grave and buried her head into her hands, sobbing into her palms, wishing that the pain would go away. Her head picked up when she heard Michael's footsteps rapidly approaching her and before she knew it, he was kneeling beside her, his hand rubbing at her back.

"I know this is hard on you, Alice, but you need to get it all out." He reminded her sympathetically. He too knew how this worked; he had been around death most of his life and like her, he blocked it out; but blocking the emotion wasn't going to work for his wife and he knew it.

Alice nodded in agreement and her eyes became fixated on the stone, her voice quivering as she spoke. "I'm so scared, mother. And I don't have you to lean on anymore. You were with me every step of the way when it came to Johnny and he wouldn't be such a good boy without you and now I'm worrying that I'll mess up this time." When Michael wrapped his arms around her shoulders and placed a kiss on the top of her head, she took in a deep breath and held it for a while. "She taught me everything I know Michael and it's been so long since Johnny was a baby, I don't know if I can do this without her."

"Your mother isn't gone, she's just not in the same place as you and you know that better than anyone. You know more about the spirits than I do."

"Do you mind if I have one last moment alone with my parents before we go?"

"Of course, take all the time you need, I'll be in the car." He got onto his feet, wiping the muck from his knees before he stepped back to the car. He glanced over his shoulder, watching as she had one last cry over the grave. He desperately wanted to comfort her, but she asked to be alone and he had to respect that, no matter how much he didn't want to.

* * *

In her mind, now that she was back in Birmingham, all that grief was stuck on the hill. But now she was finding herself craving the familial closeness that her mother always gave her and the only one that she was comfortable expressing herself to was Danny; they didn't always see eye to eye, but he was there for a good part of her life and she wasn't ready to look into Nora's eyes, not when the emotion was still so fresh. She hoped that she could trust him because she needed her big brother to fill the void that her mother left and getting close to him could ensure that he wouldn't betray Tommy. It was a win, win.

Before they stepped into Pol's house, Alice gripped Michael's forearm and pursed her lips as she looked up at his face. "I want to thank you for being there for me, this has been so hard on me and you've been there for me in the thick of it."

He tilted his head with a slight smirk and caressed her cheek. "You don't need to thank me; I'll always be there."

She turned her head and kissed the palm of his hand. "There's one more thing I need from you."

"Anything."

"I want to go to Danny's camp."

He gritted his teeth and slowly took his hand away from her face. "Anything bar that. I can't stand the man, Alice. That day at the docks, he really rubbed me up the wrong way."

"I know he can be a nuisance, but I want to have somewhat of a relationship with him." Michael went to step into his mother's house, but Alice gripped his arm once more. "Michael please, I know that if I go by myself, he'll be taunting you the whole time and he'll say things in front of Johnny about you. Besides, both of us being there means we'll have a better chance of sniffing out a blindside." When he peered down at her from over his shoulder, she moved her hand towards his bicep, squeezing it playfully, hoping that she was swaying him. "What do you think?"

"If I don't go, I'll never hear the end of it, will I?"

"You know that I can complain for hours, days if I have to."

"Fine, we'll get this over and done with."

"What do you mean?"

"We're going to get Johnny and go straight there."

"Unannounced?" she watched him open the front door and followed him into the house.

"Why not? He did invite you after all, now we're just accepting the invitation." He stepped into the living room and grinned down at his son. "Guess what?" Before Johnny could answer, Michael answered his own question. "We're going to uncle Danny's caravans."

* * *

It was almost dark when they arrived, the sun was setting behind the hill that the camp was in front of and they had started to light their campfires. They got out of the car and Alice kept a tight hold of Johnny's hand, she didn't need him running off and getting lost in a stranger's caravan. Michael got a couple of stares as he stepped into the midst of the camp, but he wasn't fazed, in fact he enjoyed their annoyance at his presence.

"Alice, I didn't think you were going to come." Danny said when he finally showed his face. His eyes shifted between Michael and Johnny, a smile appearing when he laid eyes on his nephew. "And you brought the family."

"We can't stay long, it's a school night," she said as she passed Johnny over to his father, "but I wanted to see you." Before he could say anything, she hugged him tightly.

It was apparent to Michael that it was the first time Alice had shown any affection towards her brother because he seemed to be taken back by her gesture. He just patted her on the back then weaselled his way out of her arms.

"That's fine, I'm sure we'll be having plenty more of these family get togethers after tonight." He took a couple of steps backwards and waved for them to follow. "Come, it's time for you to meet the brood." He walked deeper into the camp and called out to his family. "Theresa! Bring the wains out."

Alice saw Danny's wife, a frail looking woman with long, curly red hair. Her face was freckled and pasty, but she was quite attractive, probably too attractive for Danny. Next came the kids, all red headed and freckled like Theresa but they all had grumpy little faces like their father. She counted five but then one that was barely able to walk broke through the crowd of his brothers and sisters.

"You've been busy, mate." Michael commented as he picked Johnny up, smirking slightly as he noted Danny's grimace at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah, we'll just see how many you and Alice end up with." He replied sharply.

"What're their names?"

"Dad, who's that posh girl?" a small girl with pigtails called out.

"It's your aunt, Alice. You know the one I've been talking about."

"Who?" another child said.

"Right, I'll just go down the line and give you their names. We've got Danny Jr, Sheamus, Erin, that little one is our youngest Siobhan then there's Patrick and Aidan." He placed his hands on his hips and looked towards Johnny. "Those are your cousins, they've got a few toys in there if you want to play with them."

"Uhm, perhaps he could stay with us as you give us a tour." Alice suggested.

"No mumma, I want to play!" Johnny protested, thrashing against Michael to try and break free.

"Wild one, ain't he?" Danny said to his wife with a grin. "You can tell he's family." He looked at Alice then to her husband. "Theresa's good with kids, she'll look after them."

When Alice still looked unsure, Michael put Johnny on the floor and watched him run towards his cousins. "I'll stay here too; I mean seven kids is too much for one person to handle." He folded his arms across his chest and moved towards the kids. "Plus, it'll give you a moment to have that chat with Danny that you've been wanting." When he was behind Danny, he wagged his eyebrows at her, a signal for her to do some digging into any potential plans.

"Fine, you stay with Johnny. We'll find somewhere quiet to have a word?" she looked at Danny expectantly.

"Yeah, if that's what you want little sister." He put his arm around her and led her away from Michael. "I know just the spot, it's where I go when the kids are getting on my last nerve."

* * *

He took her to a small seating area by a large oak tree and invited her to sit beside him. He could see that she wasn't completely at ease but that's how he felt being in a city like Birmingham; being out of your comfort zone is always difficult and he knew that she wasn't as strong willed as him. It would take Alice a while to get used to this way of life.

"What were you wanting to talk to me about?" he stretched out his arms and legs before lighting a cigarette. "You don't seem as feisty as usual."

"I've got a lot on my mind and I thought that speaking to you would help me."

"I am the only living blood you've got that isn't a child." He was trying to be light-hearted, but she wasn't in the mood for his jokes and jabs. "What's bothering you?"

"I realised I wasn't over my mother's death, so I went to the graves and spoke my peace with her. But I still feel like something's missing and I came to the conclusion within myself that I need my big brother to be my big brother; not this stranger that I see every few years for a while or this enemy that I have to battle with."

"I've never tried to be an enemy to you, Alice. They are the enemy, the Shelbys are what I'm battling against."

"They're not trying to fight you; they're working with you."

"Yeah, now they are. But that boss of yours always turned his nose up at me even though he started in the camps just like me. And I think that husband of yours forgets where he came from too. That river gypsy he had a for a father, not sure if he even remembers him but I do. Scum." Danny laughed cynically and turned his face away from her as he puffed out his smoke. "And that's coming from scum."

"How do you expect Michael to react to you when you tried to marry me off?" she tried her best to keep calm, letting out a sigh as she turned her whole body around to face him. "He really loves me, and I get that the two of you won't be best friends and you'll probably never like Tommy, but I need you and that should count for something."

"It does 'cause the only reason he's in my camp is because of you and that boy he gifted you. For Christ's sake Alice, don't you see how much I'm trying with you? But I can't forgive the people that have dragged me down for years and that's long before you were in their bed."

"I won't defend Tommy because the only thing he cares about is business, but Michael is a good man and if you at least tried with him, he'd try with you."

"Right, I'll keep the hot head at bay with him." He rolled his eyes slightly and looked back at Alice. "Something's still bothering you."

"I think mother's spirit is angry at me. I couldn't feel her at the grave. I spoke to her, but she didn't reply even though I was sobbing uncontrollably."

"Why do you think she's mad at you?"

"Because I signed her house over to you, and she always despised you."

He shook his head and screwed up his face. "She ain't mad at you because I never filed those papers. I shouldn't have taken the papers in the first place, but I just wanted to prove a point to those Shelby bastards."

She gripped onto the edge of her seat and put her heads towards her knees as she tried to resist the urge to slap Danny. "I have been so worried that mother hadn't come through because of what I did, and you risked all that to prove what?"

"That I was a force that can't be ignored. But in fairness, I didn't think I'd be sitting here, talking to you like siblings."

"Of all the shitty things you've done to me," she looked at him with tears in her eyes, "this is by far the worst."

"Let me try and make it up to you, there's a woman here that can call upon the dead. Let me introduce you to her and see if you can make your mother come out."

"I think that's the least you could do, Danny." She looked away from him. "Take me to her, then."

* * *

He led her into one of the caravans, holding back the beaded curtains for her. The older woman was a little startled but relaxed slightly when she saw Danny behind the stranger. She sat behind her table; her hand rested on it flat.

"You're here late boy." She said with a cocked brow. "Who's this?"

"This is my sister Alice, well half-sister." He looked at Alice and nodded towards the woman. "This here is Madame Mahoney and if anyone can contact your mother, it's her."

"Your sister's a fancy one ain't she?" the woman noticed the fancier clothes and the way Alice kept her hair; tied up high, almost knotted and fastened with a jewelled clasp.

"Yeah she's married to a Peaky." When Alice looked over her shoulder at him, he placed his hands on the tops of her arms and sat her down at the other end of the table. "But she's my blood and she'd like to contact her mother."

"Give us the room then, and no eavesdropping." The woman waggled her fingers at Alice and took her hands. "I'll know if you do."

"I'll leave you two to it." He hung around by the door, watching Alice for a few seconds and all he could do was think about how much he had missed in her life. The only memories he had of her were before she was able to have memories of her own. "Alice," he called out, making her turn and look at him, "I hope you get what you're looking for."

As she looked at him, she saw another glimmer of sincerity in his eyes. Perhaps he wasn't as bad as she thought he was and all those bad things he did were out of jealousy and bitterness. Their father did leave him at the camp and she never tried with him. Was it her fault he was like this?

* * *

"So, Alice tell me a bit about your mother." Mahoney lit a few candles and grabbed her hands once more, her eyes snapping shut.

"Her name was Agnes, she took her own life a few months ago. She had cancer and I think the pain was too much."

"I can feel a lot of pain, not physical but emotional but it's not coming from your mother. She's here but she has someone else with her."

She leaned forward, her grip on Mahoney's hands tightening. "Is it my father?"

"Yes, I've met this spirit before. Your parents are bickering about you and he's blocking your mother's contact."

"Why are they fighting?"

"Your husband. Your mother is in favour of him, but your father has saw him walk through this camp and he doesn't approve." Mahoney ducked her head, shaking it from side to side. "He wants you to be happy, but he doesn't think you will be. His words for you are 'a gangster's wife ain't a happy wife'."

Her father's words didn't bother her, he wouldn't have approved of Michael because of their history. What she wanted was her mother. "Can I speak to him?"

"He's listening, they both are."

She didn't know where to look, her eyes kept floating around the room. "Dad, Michael is the love of my life, he always has been. I appreciate that you are trying to look out for me but at this moment, I just want to speak to mum. I've felt your spirit around me since the day you left, but mum's holding herself back. I need to speak to her."

"He's gone and Agnes has stepped forward. I don't feel any pain from her, and she wants to talk to you."

"Mother, I've felt so lost without you. Since you left me, I've been through so much in a short space of time and I don't have you to stop my head from spinning. Why haven't you been around? I don't feel your spirit like I feel father's."

"She says she's had to spend some time coming to terms with what she did. She feels guilt but the relief outweighs those feelings. She also says that she must let you take your own path and do what you need to. One thing your mother wants is for you and Nora to become close, she says keep trying and don't be disheartened by the lavish lifestyle she was gifted or the way she looks; it'll be hard for you to get past those eyes but she's family. Also, she did hear everything you said at her grave today. Just know that she'll be behind you every step of the way, yelling at you for putting nappies on wrong and comforting you when you get tired and frustrated. You weren't selfish and you didn't let her down the day of her funeral. In fact, and she says this with a grin, you were very entertaining."

Alice laughed slightly and looked towards the ceiling. "I'm not surprised, at least you got some entertainment."

Mahoney made a noise, tilting her head. "Her attitude has changed; she isn't grinning anymore. Before she leaves, she wants you to know that she loves you and Johnny and to be wary of the men in your life. Each one of them will have the opportunity to betray you, you need to wait and see who does because she can't even see who's going to blindside you."

* * *

**A:N Danny, Tommy and Michael... Which one of them will be the one to betray her? Will any of them or all of them? Thank you so much for reading and thanks for all the support! Let me know who you think will betray her, does Danny have it in him to hurt her now that they've been in contact? Could Tommy out of frustration and anger or could Michael grow tired of family life? **


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Sixteen**

* * *

She emerged from the caravan, sceptical of the men around her. It would've been far easier if her mother had of told her who was going to betray her trust than to let her find out the hard way. Her eyes caught Danny's as she took a cigarette from her rusty tin and she faked a smile as he bounded towards her.

"Well, did Agnes come through?"

"She did and now I finally know that she's not angry with me and I can be at peace." Alice wasn't going to give anything away; the nitty gritty details were for her ears only.

"You know you can come up here anytime and speak with her. I may not have liked the ol' bat, but she's still your mother." He gave her a half smile and held a light to her cigarette.

"I appreciate that, I might take you up on that offer. If Johnny had a good time here, then I know he'll be begging to come back."

"My wains play rough; I wouldn't be too shocked if he never wanted to lay eyes on his cousins again."

"You seem like a good father; I don't think they'll be too rough."

"What do you mean by 'seem'?"

Alice rested the butt of her cigarette against her lip and raised a brow at him, watching how his face shifted into annoyance. "Well, whenever I got pregnant with Johnny, you showed no interest in kids. I just assumed that, that mentality would've carried over." When he seemed to stiffen up, she kept on, "I don't want to offend you, Danny but most gypsy men don't bother with their kids too much."

"I'm not most gypsy men, I am our father's son and he definitely showed an interest in us." When Alice went to say something else, Danny held up his hand. "We'll let it go before it turns into an argument. Let's head back to the camp, see if everyone's still breathing."

* * *

The siblings could hear their children before they saw them and when they had reached the camp, they saw Michael being chasing by one of Danny's boys while the other kids dispersed in different directions, laughing at and taunting Alice's husband as he was chased. When he was finally caught, all the kids ran away as fast as they could until Michael stopped dead in his tracks after hearing Alice's giggle.

"What on earth is going on here?" she asked as she approached the brood.

"Just a game of tag to pass the time." He placed a quick kiss on her cheek and rested his hands on his hips. "Did you get the answers you were looking for?" when Alice nodded, he glanced in Danny's direction and took in a deep breath. "Thanks for helping her."

"She's my little sister, I wouldn't turn her down in her time of need."

Michael watched Danny from the corner of his eye, he still felt uneasy around him and he still didn't trust the gypsy. His attention was taken off his brother-in-law when Johnny raced over to him, his arms latched onto Michael's legs.

"Come on dad, chase us. You're it!" he exclaimed as he stared up at his father with wildly happy eyes.

"You've had your fun for the day, we've a long drive home." Alice replied before Michael had the chance to give in. "You'll see your cousins again."

"Sooner rather than later." Danny added, his head turning down to his nephew as he made a protesting groan.

"We're having a party at the Garrison to celebrate our good news, why don't you bring your lot down?" Michael figured it was better to keep his enemy close and appease his ego. "It is a celebration after all, and our baby will be your niece of nephew. It's only right."

"Oh, I don't know, I've to head down to the docks and make sure everything's ready for sail." Danny took the cap from his head and scratched at the back of his neck.

"That's what the shipyard men are for." Alice leaned into Michael's side tiredly as she watched her brother contemplate the offer. "I would like to see you there, don't turn me down when we've just got back on the right foot."

"I'll see if I can make it down, but no promises."

"Good enough," Alice picked Johnny up, letting him wrap his arms and legs around her and followed Michael towards the car. "I hope to see you there." She called out, but she didn't get a reply. When she looked over her shoulder, Danny had already walked away.

* * *

She waited for her husband, leaning against the doorframe as she watched him kiss their son on the forehead as he tucked him into his bed. Everything about their relationship was perfect for her, he was what she wanted but would he take the chance to betray her if he had the chance? Her mother's words were starting to make her doubt everyone. When he approached the door, she moved out of his way and rested her weight on the bannister in the landing.

"Are you feeling okay?" he placed his hand on the small of her back.

"Just a little nauseous," she turned to him and stared up at his face, "you know, I'm really proud of you."

"Proud of me? Why?"

"Because you invited Danny to our party even though you despise him, with a passion," she laughed a little when he nodded in agreement, "and you didn't have to do that."

"You have a family too and I realised that it would be an injustice to you if your side wasn't represented."

"I don't think it will be, I doubt that Danny will accept the offer."

"Well, that makes me feel a hell of a lot better because I extended the invitation to your sister."

Alice tilted her head and placed her hand on her chin; she didn't know how to feel about that. Was it fair to throw Nora into the deep end when they hadn't had the chance to spend time together, just the two of them? "What did she say?"

"Nora said she'd be there, I even offered to let her stay here for the weekend in our guest room."

* * *

There was no way he could betray her, Michael was so thoughtful and considerate when it came to Alice and as she gazed into his eyes, she could see the love he had for her. She threw her arms around him, her head buried into his chest and held him close to her. "I love you." She mumbled into his shirt.

He chuckled quietly and ran his fingers through her hair as she tilted her head up towards him. "Where did that come from?"

"No one's ever looked out for me and my best interests the way you do." She held onto his bracers, pulling at the elastic. "You've no idea how much I appreciate it."

"You are my wife; I'll always look out for you."

"I've been thinking for a while, well since the night that Tommy tried to marry me off, once this deal with the Polish is done, we should move away from Birmingham and away from all of this nasty business." She let go of his bracers and moved her hands up his chest. "Let's go to America and make something of ourselves the legit way."

"The work I do here is legit."

"I know but Tommy will always have his grip on you. Do you really want Johnny," she moved one hand to her growing belly and pursed her lips, "or our baby getting mixed up in the family business?"

He let out a sigh, he knew that Alice was right, but it was hard for him to walk away from his cousin. Especially with the history that they shared. Michael was a father now; his kids were going to have to come first. "I'll think about it, Alice. But I'm not going to promise you anything yet."

"Just think about it. I'm not expecting an answer tonight." She placed a longing kiss on his lips, hoping that it would sway him a little, but he remained silent when she pulled away. "I'm going to get ready for bed, are you joining me?"

"I'll be there in a little bit. I've got some paperwork that needs finished by morning."

Don't stay up too late." She warned with a smile.

He watched her slink down the hallway, his hands slipping into his pockets. "Alice," she stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder at him, "I love you too."

"I know you do."

* * *

Tommy awaited the arrival of his cousin and Alice with a drink in his hand and Polly chittering away in his ear. The closer it got to January, the more she worried that Danny would mess things up for the family. As much as she loved Alice, she didn't trust her judgement.

"Is anybody watching him, Tommy? I like Alice too, far more that you do but are you going to take her word for it? What if she's wrong?"

"Pol, you need to relax." He took a long swig from his drink and placed the empty glass on the bar. "There is a time and place to discuss business and this isn't the place right now." He turned his head when the doors swung open and smacked off the wall. It was Danny and he was already full. Tommy rolled his eyes away from him and raised a brow at his aunt. "Do you really think he's a mastermind? He played his hand at the very beginning."

"Oi, Tommy!" Danny called out as he stumbled through the Shelby family, almost knocking Finn over and steadying himself on Arthur's shoulder. "I thought this was going to be a party?"

"It is, but we tend to wait for the guests of honour before we get obliterated." Pol remarked under her breath, a smart smirk twitching across her lips.

"The fuck did you just say to me?" Danny swivelled swiftly towards the woman, thinking that his stature would scare her, but she didn't even blink. "Gypsy royalty? That makes me laugh." He spat on the floor and turned his attention towards Tommy. "And you? Mister high and mighty. You can't touch me now, can you? Even when this shipment sets sail, we'll still be bound by blood."

"Alright, alright. Take a seat and wait for Alice to arrive." Arthur pulled him away from Pol while Tommy just stared through him. He would let Alice deal with her kin when she arrived; he was growing tired of keeping everyone in line.

* * *

When Alice and Michael stepped into the Garrison with Johnny in the middle of them, the atmosphere seemed to be a little tense. Alice's eyes found Danny straight away and when she realised that he was here alone, she had a fair idea of the state he was in.

"Go play with the other kids on the street, Johnny." She said as she crouched down to his level, tucking his dark hair behind his ear. "Just don't go any further than the end of the road."

"What's going on?" Michael asked Finn, gripping him by the arm as he tried to leave the pub.

"That gypsy fella is a mad bastard. He came in here and tried to have a go at Pol."

Michael's face became twisted with anger, his eyes darting between Alice, his mother and then Tommy. "What'd he say?" he asked his cousin as he approached the couple, placing a hand on each of their shoulders.

"You need to have a word with him." Tommy said quietly to Alice. She wouldn't take her eyes off Danny as he moved to the corner of the room; slumping himself in the corner with a pint of something strong.

"What did he say to my mum, Tom?" Michael asked again, shaking his head when Tommy still wouldn't look at him.

"We don't want any fights breaking out, not when it's supposed to be a happy time in your lives," he finally brought his eyes towards Michael and raised a brow, "isn't that right? We want Alice to be as stress free as possible?"

Michael looked at his wife's face before letting out a sigh. "I'll go get us some drinks, Alice."

She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes still stuck on Danny. "How drunk is he?"

"Well, he's rowdy enough."

"Did he try to start a fight?"

"He said a few things that didn't really make sense," Tommy shrugged his shoulders and bit down on his bottom lip, "but he's your brother and I thought that you should calm him down before I boot him out onto the street."

"Thanks Tommy, I'll see what's going on in that mind of his."

* * *

She took her glass of stout from Michael's hands as she strolled towards her brother's booth. She sat in front of him and took a small sip before looking him over. "You know I'm surprised that you're here. I didn't think you'd show up." His eyes flickered towards her, but he remained silent. Alice was going to have to try harder to get words out of him. "I thought you would've brought Theresa and the kids like we had discussed. I want Johnny to know my side of the family too."

He let out a sneer and turned his head to the window. "Do you think I'd bring them down here to this traitorous den?"

"What are you talking about? It's a party, Danny."

"You know, you say we're family and that you want us to be siblings again, but you come down and distract me while your mother-in-law and Tommy have a secret meeting with the Polish."

Alice furrowed her brow and leaned in towards her brother. "What are you talking about?"

"They were at my shipyard last week while I was entertaining your requests to contact Agnes. A few of my men spotted them as they were checking over the cargo." He looked towards her once more but this time he seemed to be more sombre. "They're planning to put a bullet in me once that ship sails out of Ayr, aren't they?"

Alice shook her head, her hands rested flat on the table. "I don't know, I didn't know about this meeting."

"Of course, you did you're his secretary. You set everything up, just like you set me up."

"I promise you now, I had no idea." She reached across at grabbed at his hand, but he kept pulling it away from her. "I wouldn't do that to you."

"You pulled a gun on me before."

"Before I actually got to spend some time with you, before I got to know you." She glanced over her shoulder and watched her husband speak to Tommy and it seemed like their conversation was hushed. "I'm going to put a stop to whatever they have planned, if they even have anything planned." She got out of her seat and finished her drink before she held her hand out towards her brother.

"What are you doing?"

"Well this is a party and there's a gramophone beside the bar, let's show them how we Finlays party."

* * *

Once the music started playing, all interest was drawn to Alice and her brother as they danced in the middle of the room. He spun her around under his arm, her laughter contagious to him. Her heels stomped against the wooden floor and the clapping of his hands boomed over the music. When Alice noticed Michael and Tommy's stares, she decided that she was going to get the tension out of the room by getting as many of the Shelbys onto the floor as possible. They were all connected through marriage and it was time to act like one big family instead of two separate gangs. Pol was a little hard to crack, she didn't want to be anywhere near Danny but once Ada joined Alice, there was no real reason for her to say no. Arthur wasn't hard to persuade; he had almost as much drink in him as Danny and was ready to get the party started. The last person she was going to try, and sway was her husband. As she approached him, he held his hands up against his chest and shook his head.

"I'm not dancing, Alice. I'm nowhere near drunk enough to make a fool out of myself."

"Oh, come on, I'm not drunk and I'm dancing." She tilted her head and waggled her fingers at him. "Don't turn me down, Michael."

He set his drink down on a nearby table and took his wife's hand, letting her pull him into the middle. He wrapped his arms around her and danced to the beat of the music, letting her lead the way. When she set her head on his chest, he rested his head on hers.

"Did you know about the meeting at Ayr docks?" she asked quietly, knowing that he'd be able to hear.

"What meeting?"

"Between Tommy and the Polish."

"I had no clue."

Alice looked up at him, her glare burning into his. "I can always tell when you're lying to me."

"I only found out about it."

"What was said? What is Tommy planning?"

"We didn't get that far, you pulled me away." He smiled slightly at her. "How did you know about the meeting?" he glanced over the top of her head and caught Danny staring at him. "He knew, didn't he?"

"Coming in here completely out of his mind drunk is understandable behaviour. If he's going to have secret meetings, tell Tommy to be more discreet." She placed her hand on Michael's chest and pushed him away from her with a devilish smile. "I'd like another drink." She stepped away from him and joined up with Danny once more; she wanted him to feel comfortable and being near her was the only way to achieve that.

* * *

**A:N Thank you for reading this chapter, next one the party continues and things will get dramatic. Thanks for all the support this story has had and I hope you're still enjoying it as we come towards the end of the deal with the Polish, but there will be plenty more after that. **


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

With everything that had been going on, nobody noticed Nora as she stepped into the bar and like Alice's other sibling, she had already had a fair amount to drink. She ordered another drink and watched her sister for a moment as she danced in the middle of the floor, laughing as she was spun round and around. Nora took her drink and sat at a free table, her coat rested over her knee and her eyes scanning the room for a familiar face. When she laid eyes on Michael, she raised her glass towards him and got the same in return.

"Alice didn't think you were going to make it." He said as he sat in front of her.

"I didn't think I was either, but I was already in my evening attire and I thought, why not?" she sipped at her gin, wincing at the sour taste; it tasted nowhere near as lovely as sherry.

"When she sees you, she'll be so happy." Michael looked over at his wife, a warm smile crossing his face as he watched her dance without a care in the world.

Nora watched her sister, her head tilted upwards as she rested her fist below her chin. "Who is that man she's dancing with? Doesn't it make you jealous?"

He raised a brow at his sister-in-law and shook his head. "That's her brother on her father's side."

"Yes, she mentioned him. Danny." Nora nodded slowly and dropped her head so that she could get a better look at him. "I don't see any family resemblance."

"Lucky Alice," Michael commented as he lifted his glass, "I'll send Alice over to you when she eventually tires. But I doubt she will, she wants another drink." He stood up and went to walk away when he felt Nora's hand on his.

"Don't leave just yet, I don't know anyone else here."

* * *

She pulled the same sad face that Alice always pulls when he has to say goodbye. It was hard to reject, especially when he noticed how much she looked like his wife. "Fine, just until Alice comes over." He turned his attention back to his wife; he knew that she'd go looking for him when she realised she didn't have another stout.

Nora watched how Michael watched Alice; he was so protective of her and it made her miss her own husband. He wasn't the best husband in the world, and she had been a widow for a while, but she wanted someone like Michael. It could've been the mix of the sherry she had earlier with the gin, but she started to want Michael. He wasn't her usual type, but there was a handsomeness to him that she was suddenly starting to discover. She was going to test his loyalties, she didn't know when, but she craved his attention and the only person's happiness she cared about was her own.

"How about we have a dance? Shall we join them?" she had already stood up before Michael could give his answer.

He looked up at her with a raised brow; he knew that Nora was a bit strange, but he didn't see any harm in taking her up on the offer. If it was a way to distract Alice from her maniac of a brother, then he would do it.

"Fine, what's the harm?"

* * *

It was the first time in her life that she had saw Danny genuinely happy and she blamed herself for part of that. She should've tried harder to be a sister to him long before now. Alice couldn't change the past, but she could let him know how she felt about him now. Maybe he needed to hear it.

"You know, I am really pleased that you came. It took a lot for you to step into Shelby territory."

"You're not my enemy, you know that don't ya?" he watched her as she thought about her response. "I'm telling you now, you ain't the enemy."

"I just happened to be married to the enemy." She stated.

"Michael, I don't like the fella, but I never heard of him before I met you again. It's that cousin of his, he always thinks he's smarter than people like us."

"I'm not going to start a row with you." She shook her head and stopped dancing for a moment to give her brother a squeeze.

"Why are you hugging me?" he patted her on the back, eventually resting his head on hers.

"Because I want to. I think you need it."

Alice had no idea how right she was, it was just a shame that things changed in the blink of an eye.

* * *

From the corner of his eye, Danny could see Michael with another woman. To him, the woman was dancing too close to the married man and he wasn't going to let his sister be Michael's fool. "Wasn't Michael supposed to be getting you a drink?"

"Oh yes, I forgot about that, I was having too much fun with you." She let go of him and stared up at him, her brow furrowing as she followed his stare. "What're you looking at?"

"Just you wait here." He barged before storming over to Michael.

"Danny!" she called out as she chased after him, but by the time she caught up, he already had a grip of Michael's arm. She looked at her husband's angry face and felt a deep pit in her stomach.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Michael pushed Danny off him and straightened himself out.

"Do you think you're going to mess around on my little sister? You've got another thing coming to you, mate." He went to punch Michael, but he was too quick for Danny.

"Are you having a laugh? She's Alice's sister!" he regretted blurting it out when he saw Alice's face drop as she emerged from behind her brother. Danny didn't know and his face said it all.

"Alice's sister?" he turned around and stared down at Alice, towering over her. "You had a sister and you never told me?"

"She's my mother's daughter, I didn't think it was relevant. I was going to tell you, I swear. I just never had the right moment…" She was trying her best to explain herself, but the more she kept rambling, the angrier Danny got.

"And when did you come on the scene? What're you looking for? Money?" he said as he locked eyes with his sister's sister.

"Right, lay off her." Michael blocked Nora from Danny's view and held his hands up. "What're you even playing at?"

"You know, I bet you were just waiting to drop that bomb into my lap, weren't you, you weasel?" he took a step closer to Michael until their faces were barely inches apart. "You're just like your ma, pure gypsy scum."

* * *

They had attracted a crowd, but neither of them had noticed. They were ready for a fight and neither one of them was going to back down. They kept their eyes fixated on each other, trying to read what the other was going to do next. Michael was furious, nobody disrespected his family and got away with it. He spat in Danny's face and while he was distracted, he raised his fist to strike him, but Nora gripped onto his arm and used all the strength she had to stop him. It gave Danny enough time to wipe the spit from his face and gift Michael with a hit of his own, straight across the jaw. It horrified Alice to watch her husband take a blow like that and when Danny motioned to hit him again, she gripped onto his arm, hoping that he would stop. But he didn't realise that it was her that grabbed him; his attention was still on Michael. With one arm and his eyes still on Michael, he pushed her onto the ground. Luckily, Arthur broke her fall and more than likely stopped the baby she was carrying from getting hurt. But seeing his wife lying on the floor sparked something inside Michael and he was ready for blood.

Nobody was strong enough to hold Michael back, not even Finn and Tommy combined, when he broke from their clutches, he struck Danny as hard as he possibly. Over and over again until he too was on the floor, his nose bloodied and his shirt partially torn. Michael stood over him, ready to kick him while he was down but Alice was the one to stop him as she got back onto her feet and pulled him away from her brother.

"Enough! Both of you, enough." She was shaken and her lips trembled. She stared back at Michael as the fury disappeared from his face. "Nora, go out onto the street and tell Johnny to take you to our house."

Nora stepped over to her booth and picked up her coat before taking the key from Alice's hand and making herself scarce.

"Are you okay?" Michael placed his hands on her face, checking her over quickly with his eyes. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine." She nodded at him and turned her face away from his caress. Alice held her hand out towards Danny, willing to put his accident behind her but he wasn't willing to put her secret behind him.

* * *

He got up without her help and wiped the blood from his nose. He didn't look at anyone else but Alice because she had hurt him more than Michael had. "You could've told me about your sister. You chose not to. You'd rather keep it a secret because of what reason?"

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt. Because I'm the only one you've got left and I didn't want you to feel like you were outcasted." She wrapped one arm around her midsection and placed her hand over her mouth. "I should've told you."

"Yeah, you should've because I'm sure you've told everyone else. And guess what, that and that alone makes me outcasted. You're not the only family I've got, I've made my own family with Theresa and I've got the kin of our father's kin." He tipped his head back and took in a deep breath, holding it before he said, "I am sorry that I knocked you down, I didn't mean that and I'm glad you're not hurt but when January comes and that shipment's ready to leave my docks," he watched her face drop, all he could do was shake his head at her, "stay the fuck away."

She watched her brother walk out of the pub, all the work she had put in to rekindle their relationship was blown up and she could blame only herself. Had this of happened to her a few months ago, she would've crumbled but this city had changed her, her skin was thicker, and she could take the hit. Alice looked over her shoulder at Michael and let out a quiet sigh. "I think it's time we all called it a night."

* * *

He couldn't sleep, the blood was still pumping through him and the image of Alice on the floor kept flashing into his mind. At least she was sleeping soundly, and she was in no pain, it didn't stop him from wanting to rip Danny's head off. He heard the faint call of his son and it made those nasty feelings retract from the surface. He got out of bed quietly and tiptoed towards Johnny's room. He peered in to see his son sat upright, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

"Is everything okay Johnny?"

"I had a bad dream." He said meekly.

Michael stepped into the room and sat by his son's side. He stroked the back of his head delicately and took in his sad face. "It's only a dream, whatever it was, it wasn't real." He pulled him close and buried his nose into his son's hair, Johnny's arms hung around his neck as he tried to calm himself down.

"Dad?"

"Yes?" he looked down at his pleading eyes, a small smile crossing his mouth.

"Can I have a glass of water?"

Michael nodded and motioned for Johnny to lie down. Once he was back underneath the sheets, he tucked the boy in again. "I'll only be a minute, okay? Try to go back to sleep."

* * *

He tried to be as quiet as possible as he made his way down the stairs. Nora was sleeping in the living room and he didn't want to wake her. But as he opened to door, he saw that she wasn't asleep; for her the party was continuing. Nora had found a bottle of whiskey and had a cigarette hanging from her lips as she danced around the room. Michael raised a brow and attempted to get into the kitchen without her noticing.

"Michael, come join me! I have plenty of drink left." She said sloppily, almost throwing half of the bottle around herself as she swayed towards him.

"I'm alright." He said bluntly. He lifted a clean glass and filled half of it with water.

"What're you doing up?" Nora leaned on the counter, her robe slipping halfway down her shoulder.

"Johnny needed some water." He went to head back upstairs but Nora was by the door in an instant, leaning against the frame provocatively. "What're you doing?"

"I was thinking, you know, when we were dancing together? I need a man like you. They way you protected Alice, I've never had that in my life," she sauntered towards him and placed her hand on his chest and gazed into his eyes, "and I crave it."

"You're not suggesting what I think you're suggesting, are you?" when she batted her eyelashes at him, he rolled his eyes and stared at the ceiling. "I love Alice."

"I love her too… But I love me more and I think you would too." Nora pressed her mouth to Michael's before he had the chance to reject her.

He appalled by her but was frozen. He pushed her away from him, hard enough to make his point but not enough to make her fall. "What the fuck are you doing?"

"What do you mean?" she pulled her robe over her exposed shoulder and pushed her hair from her face.

"If you thought anything of your sister you wouldn't have done that. I told you, I love Alice, I don't want anyone else." He stepped into the hallway, ready to close the door on her. "Be gone by the morning."

* * *

Alice had heard everything and when she heard Michael come back up the stairs, she climbed back into bed. This was what her mother was talking about and that was the test to see if Michael was going to be the one to betray her. She didn't doubt him, but she was still proud that he didn't take the chance. She would deal with Nora another day; she didn't have the energy to destroy another relationship.

"Why are you awake?" he closed their bedroom door and folded his arms across his chest.

"I thought I heard Johnny." She pulled the covers back and patted the space beside her.

"You did, he had a nightmare. I went to get him a glass of water, but he was asleep by the time I got back upstairs." He sat beside her, he wanted to tell her about Nora, but he figured that she had already dealt with enough tonight. He was surprised when Alice climbed onto his lap, her hands planted on his arms. "What're you doing?"

"I heard what happened downstairs and I will sort her out another day," she kissed his jaw and trailed them down his neck, "right now, I'll show you the reason why you'll never stray from me."

* * *

Michael woke up alone, the sunlight hitting him right in the eyes as he sat up. He could smell whatever Alice was cooking from upstairs and as soon as the smell hit him, his stomach roared with hunger. Once he was dressed, he stepped into the kitchen to see Johnny playing with his toys at the table and Alice standing over the stove. There were no signs of Nora, he didn't know if she had left of her own accord or if Alice kicked her out before anyone else woke up, he didn't care.

"Good morning." Michael said as he kissed Johnny on the top of his head.

"Morning dad." Johnny replied without even looking up from his toy car.

He stepped over to Alice and wrapped his arms around her. "What're you cooking?"

"Sausages, eggs and bread. I thought you'd be starving after last night." She smirked as she glanced over her shoulder at him. Alice closed her eyes when he placed a kiss on her cheek and rested herself against his weight. "Can you do me a favour?"

"Anything."

"Will you take Johnny to school before you head to the office?"

"Is everything okay? You're not sore from the fall, are you?" Michael started to panic and when he turned her around to look at him, she smiled at him.

"No, I'm not sore. I'm just exhausted. I only got up because you and Johnny needed fed before you left the house." She kissed him quickly and turned back to the stove. "When I'm feeling up to it, I'm going to speak with Tommy about last night. I don't want what happened between us and Danny to affect this deal. There's too much at stake."

"Don't be worrying about it, just go back to bed." He turned to the table and took his seat beside Johnny. He watched Alice as she served their breakfast and although she had seemed like she was fine, he could tell that underneath it all, she was worried that she had lost her brother and it was through no fault of her own; it was all Michael's fault, but he was determined to fix this.

* * *

**A:N Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry it's took me a while to get it out. Do you think Danny can bring himself to talk to Alice again? What about Nora, can Alice forgive her? I have a lot planned for Nora, this is her rock bottom so the only way is up. Thank you so much for reading, let me know your thoughts!**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Eighteen**

* * *

Now that she was alone and had a bit of peace to think, her mind roamed to the events of the night before. The look of hurt of Danny's face and the dagger Nora placed into Alice's back had her emotions all over the place; she was sad and angry but mainly confused. She understood why Danny acted the way he did, but her sister was a completely different kettle of fish, what she did, it was inexcusable. Nora was troubled, from what Alice knew she carried a lot of baggage, but to try and steal her husband was a bit below the belt. Alice wasn't ready to see Nora's face again; she didn't know if she ever would be; but she did want to try and smooth things over with Danny. As difficult as he was, he didn't try to blow her life up from the inside out. She stared out the window, a warm mug of tea in her hand as she tried to drum up the courage to leave her house and face Tommy. She knew he'd have a few choice words towards her. If this ruined the deal with the Polish, then all their heads were on the chopping block.

When she got into the office, the first person she saw was Arthur. He placed his hand on her shoulder sympathetically. "Y'alright Alice?"

She nodded and placed her hand over his. "I'm fine. Thank you for catching me, you saved me a lot of hurt."

"I wouldn't say I caught you…" his eyes roamed towards Tommy's door and he gave her shoulder a slight squeeze. "I'm glad you and the baby are alright."

Alice followed his gaze and met eyes with Tommy as he stared blankly at her. "Thanks Arthur." She stepped towards the office and slipped past Tommy as he held the door open for her.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" He asked as he lit a cigarette.

"I've been better." She admitted as she looked around the room.

"Well, I'm not going to make your day any brighter."

"Yeah, I guessed. I wanted to come and say that I'm sorry about last night. If I had of known that all of that was going to happen, I wouldn't have invited either of them."

"I know that it wasn't your fault, I don't blame you."

She let out a sigh of relief and tipped her head back. "Have you spoken with Danny?"

"Yeah, called this morning."

"What did he say?"

"The deal's still on but he doesn't want you at the shipyard."

"What? But he said last night…"

"I know, but he's thinking sober now and he doesn't want you there. I've got to respect that decision, or everything goes tits up." He rested his head on his hand and leaned towards Alice. "I get that families are complicated, trust me, I've had many fights with every single person out there but once this all done, we can sort this out."

"What do you mean by 'sort this out'?" a nervous smirk crossed her face as she watched the emotion drop from Tommy's face once again.

"I'm just going to be brutally honest, I believe that the bond that you and Danny were starting to form would've stopped him from trying to ruin this deal but that bond's been blown and you and I both know that he's not the most stable person." He clasped his hands and rested them on his lap as he stared her straight in the eye. "If it comes to it; before he can betray us, I will betray him."

"Are you actually serious?" she didn't give him time to reply, she stood up and slammed her hands onto the desk. "We are not doing anything to him. If he does try to betray you or me or anyone of us, then I will deal with it. I told Michael this from the very beginning."

"I don't think you're capable of carrying it out if the inevitable happens."

Alice stared at him until he lay back in his chair. "Don't touch him."

"I just hope you're right about him for your own sake. I don't want to see you broken hearted."

The conversation between Nora and Michael that she overheard played back in her mind and her eyes closed as the pain struck her in the chest; if Danny did deceive her, Alice would snap but her heart wouldn't be broken because it was already, her fury would overcome her. "That ship already sailed." She composed herself and let out a deep breath. "See you at Christmas, Tommy."

* * *

The thought of going home, alone with her thoughts, scared her. She waited for Michael to finish his phone call, watching him through the window until he noticed her and waved her in. She sat beside him on the edge of his desk and waited impatiently for him to hang up the line.

"Did you speak with Tom?" Michael said as he put the phone down. He swivelled in his chair until he was facing her. He could tell that she wasn't happy, her expression made that clear.

"Yeah, Danny's done with me from what I gathered." She ducked her head and picked at the skin around her fingernails. "He doesn't want me at the shipyard."

He placed his hand on her knee and furrowed his brows. "I don't know why you keep trying with him, he ain't good for you and what kind of an example is he going to set Johnny when he keeps stumbling in and out of our lives half drunk and blinded by rage? What's it going to say to him when he keeps fighting us and keeps fighting me?"

"Did Tommy tell you to say all of this?" she rolled her eyes towards him, her brow pointed.

"No, I'm telling you this from the heart. Your relationship with him isn't healthy, one minute it's up and you're pleased but then the next instant it's rock bottom. Cut him off, don't let him hurt you anymore 'cause I hate seeing you like this."

She knew he was right, but she couldn't admit it. Alice didn't want to be like Tommy, fighting against everyone, even family. Caring about Danny was her flaw. "I have to try, one last time."

"Alice…" he threw his head back, shaking it as he stared at the ceiling.

"I know, but when things were good, they were great."

"But it isn't always like that, is it? Your judge of character isn't always sound."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Nora." He watched her recoil at the mention of her name and spoke to her a little softer. "I did tell you that day in her house that you're so hopeful, you think everything is a fairy-tale but you're so naïve to everything going on around you."

"I try to see the good in people."

"I know you do; you saw the good in me and now we're here. But in this world, you need your head screwed on."

"I don't want to be in this world anymore, I want an honest life."

"What I do is honest. I told you that the work I do is legit."

"But Tommy isn't, not fully and I'm helping him with it all. I worry that he'll suck you back in and then eventually our children will get dragged in too." Alice placed her hands over Michael's and looked him straight in the eye. "With everything that's happened with Nora and Danny, and how I feel about our family's future, I think we need to discuss moving to America."

"You're still caught up on this?"

"I've been thinking about the possibility since I brought it up to you."

"And where do you plan on us going?"

"New York, you could get a job as an accountant and I could find some typing work."

He could see how much she wanted this and part of him worried that if he didn't at least give this move a shot that she would harbour resentment towards him. He couldn't lose Alice again, he felt that sting once and he missed nearly five years of his son's life. Michael wouldn't let history repeat with a second child.

"Okay, after the New Year we'll sit down and work out a plan."

She grinned and picked his hand up, kissing his palm. "We can come back, once the baby's born and for holidays."

"I know, but this isn't going to be easy."

"If it's not easy, it's never usually worth it."

He watched her and eventually nodded at her. "I'm going to give New York a shot but if I don't think things are working out well for any of us, I will bring us back to Birmingham."

"Everything is going to be fine," she leaned closer to him and touched his cheek, "we'll have each other."

* * *

_Christmas Day, 1927_

Everything that was going on in their lives was put to the side as they watched their son open his presents. Both Michael and Alice gifted Johnny with everything that he had asked for, but it was Pol that had truly spoiled him. Michael looked at his mother as she enjoyed her first Christmas with a grandchild. Johnny climbed onto the rocking horse that his grandmother bought him and hugged its neck as he made the horse rock back and forth in delight. Pol couldn't help but laugh as he squealed in excitement.

"I think our boy has a future in horses." She wiped away a stray tear and placed her hands on her lap. "Perhaps he'll be a jockey."

"We'll see how he fairs on a real horse." Michael replied, glancing over at his wife with a grin. "We both know he loves animals."

"He loves horses more than people." Alice got onto her feet and approached Johnny, stroking the back of his head as he continued to play with his new toys. "Perhaps you should thank nanny Pol for your beautiful present."

Johnny leapt off his rocking horse and threw himself into Pol's arms, squeezing her tight. "Thank you for the best present I've ever saw." He allowed her to pull him off the floor and onto her knee.

"Thank you for being the best present I've ever received." She replied with a kiss behind his ear. "I won't keep you from your toys, but I will steal one last cuddle." Pol held him tightly and looked over his shoulder at Michael and Alice. "And thank you for allowing me to be here this morning."

Watching Pol interact with her son, knowing that this could be the first and only time she gets to watch him open presents with them made her feel a little guilty; but their future lied in New York. Michael had already been there, and he knew that the possibilities for himself and their family were endless. She tried to put her guilt to bed and nodded at her mother-in-law. "There's no need to thank us." Suddenly, Alice began to feel emotional and she heaved for a breath, startling Michael. "I'm going to get ready to go to Tommy's."

"Alice?" Michael placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed her gently.

"Sorry, this pregnancy has my feelings all over the place." Alice had tried to keep her emotions bottled, but now it was overflowing. Happiness, guilt and hurt were spilling out of her and she knew that she couldn't cry in front of Johnny; she wanted him to enjoy his time with Pol instead of wondering why his mother was crying. "Can you put all his toys away and get him bathed?" she broke away from his comforting hand and dashed up the stairs.

He tried calling after her, but soon after he said her name, he heard their bedroom door slam shut. He looked at his mother and shrugged his shoulders. "Is this normal?"

"Alice has had a lot to deal with, go check on her and I'll bathe and dress Johnny."

"Are you sure?"

Pol nodded and stood up, fixing her dress as she stepped towards her grandson. "I think I can manage it." She rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips. "Go on then, Michael. Your wife needs you."

* * *

When he stepped into the room, Alice was sitting on their bed with her clothes laid out in front of her, but her face was buried into a handkerchief that was stifling her cries. It was the worst he had saw her and he wasn't convinced that it was down to her hormones. He sat across from her and pulled her into his chest, allowing her to cry on his shoulder.

"Are you going to tell me the real reason you're crying?" he muttered into her ear.

"This wasn't how I was expecting our first Christmas to be, I thought that my sister would be here, and that Danny would call in with the kids and they would play in our garden. I'm glad that your mother is with us, but I wish my own was here too." She pulled herself away from Michael and dried her eyes with her cloth. "It's my first Christmas without her and watching your mother do the things that mine used to do with him; it's very hard for me. And to know that next year or the year after she might not even get the chance to do it makes me feel very selfish."

"I'd actually forgot that it's your first Christmas without Agnes, you've been so good with your grief that it slipped my mind." Now he was the one that felt guilty. It was the sort of thing that Michael should've realised but their life now had been filled with chaos that it left his thoughts. "And you're not selfish, this move to New York is the best thing for our kids."

"I know, but it still doesn't take away my feeling of guilt. Is it right of us to take Johnny away from his grandmother?"

"I love my mum, but right now my concern isn't about what's right for her." He let out a sigh and thought about his words wisely. "You need to stop worrying about everyone else and worry about what makes you happy. Fuck everyone that isn't us." He got up, pulling her onto her feet too. "Get into your nice dress and forget about feeling bad about yourself. This is the last time I want to hear you doubt yourself about your decisions or what you want."

Alice watched him pick a shirt out of his dresser and realised that he was right; Alice wasn't the same person she was a year ago. She wasn't the Alice that had to bend to everyone's will, if she wanted to thrive by her husband's side, she couldn't be in his shadow clinging to him for help. She let go of her sadness and her guilt and all the other emotions that weighed her down; Christmas was a time for happiness, and she was going to allow herself to be happy.

* * *

The whole Shelby family came under one roof and tried to behave themselves in Tommy's house. It was the first time that Alice had saw the wives of Tommy and Arthur or met their children. It was also the first time that she met the gypsies that started the rivalry between Tommy and Danny. All the new people that she had met took to her well and it cemented her place in the family.

"When are you due?" Lizzie asked as she waited for their dinner to be served.

"The doctor thinks I'll have the baby in May."

"You know, I think we're going to have another boy." Michael interjected as he held his glass to his lips.

"What makes you think that?" Arthur called over to him.

"It's just a feeling I've got." He replied, glancing down at the bump that poked through Alice's dress.

"And what do you think, Alice?" Linda asked her, her eyes widening as she followed Michael's gaze. "Do you think you'll have a boy?"

Alice shook her head and rested her hand on her belly. "It's a girl, this pregnancy is different; it makes me feel different. With Johnny I was sick all the time and I blew up. I was massive from very early on. Thankfully I haven't been as ill, and my figure will still be intact." She joked as she looked at Michael. "But we'll see who's right in the end."

"It's a boy." He replied with a smirk.

"She's carrying low," Pol held her hands close to her chest and looked around the table, "I hate to burst your bubble Michael, but you're wrong."

"Place your bets now." Tommy retorted as he sipped at his drink. "We could do with another Alice in the family, so I hope it's a girl."

Michael looked at his wife and took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze. "Well, while we're all here and in good spirits, I want to tell you all that Alice and I have decided to make a big move," he avoided eye contact with his mother at all costs and kept his eyes secured on Alice, "to New York."

Tommy looked at Pol and by the look of her face, she had no idea that this was happening. It wasn't like Michael to keep him in the dark and he didn't appreciate it. "When?"

"After the New Year." Michael dragged his eyes away from Alice and looked Tommy in the eye. "We've been discussing it for a few weeks. It's what's best for our kids."

"No, what's best for the kids is to be around family." Pol protested, her eyes filling up, but she wasn't going to cry.

"Family is part of the reason why we want to leave, with everything that's happened with my family and the way they carry on, I can't bring our children up around that and all the crime," Alice shook her head and tried to make Pol resonate with her, "I don't want Johnny to ever, ever get tangled up in the things that I've seen."

"You know, I really didn't expect this from you Alice." Tommy said tonelessly as he rested his head on his hand. He needed her to keep his business in check; the books had never been better with her on board and she pushed him to stay out of trouble.

"It's not forever but we need to make a life for ourselves." She replied persistently.

"What's the harm, Tommy?" Ada spoke up in defence for the couple. "And I'm sure Pol can go over to New York for a while when the baby's born."

"It's not the point, we're stronger together." Arthur responded, he knew by Tommy's face that he wasn't happy and with everything that they had been through, Tommy's words always rang true.

"And you're sure about this?" Tommy looked at his cousin and raised a brow. He wasn't convinced that this was what Michael wanted, he remembered well how he protested about being sent to New York in the first place and now, suddenly, he wanted to go back? He knew that this was all of Alice's doing.

"I've never been surer about anything." Michael squeezed Alice's hand once more and looked at Pol with a sympathetic gaze. "You're welcome to visit us any time."

"It's not the same as having Johnny around me almost every day." Pol looked at the floor and tried to understand the reasoning behind their decision; she couldn't fault them because when she first found Michael, she wanted to keep him out of all this business. "But, it's the right thing to do."

"Pol," Tommy turned his attention to his aunt, but she ignored him.

"Just please have the baby here in Birmingham so that I can be there."

"I think we can manage that." Alice smiled and glanced at Tommy. "Once that shipment leaves for New York, we'll be following it. Whether you like it or not."

* * *

**A:N Next chapter we're going to see the shipment finally setting sail and Alice and Michael are going to start a new life in America. Do you think everything's going to work out for them? Let me know what you think. Thank you so much for reading!**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Nineteen**

* * *

It was finally time for his months of planning to happen, but Tommy couldn't focus on Danny or the shipment, his mind kept spinning around the idea of Michael leaving the company for New York. He thought he would've calmed down by now, but as he stood in silence beside his cousin, waiting for Arthur to check over the cargo with Danny and one of the Polish, the anger bubbled away inside him. He wanted to say something to Michael, something that would make him stay but his mind was drawing a blank. How could he tell him what was best for Johnny when he wasn't his father? He watched Michael smoke from the corner of his eye and cleared his throat just to fill the silence.

"Whatever you've got to say to me Tom, just say it." Michael said as he stared down the length of his cigarette.

"I'm not going to say anything." He slipped his hands into the pockets of his duster coat and turned his head away from his cousin.

"Suit yourself."

Tommy took in a deep breath and tried to stop himself from spitting venom. "I don't think moving to New York is a good idea." His voice was surprisingly calm.

"So, it's not a good idea for me to go of my own accord but when you send me, it's fine?"

"I know that it wasn't your idea. This move has Alice written all over it."

Michael flicked his cigarette away with his thumb and middle finger before making his stance wider. "You know why she wants to move to New York so badly? Look at what we're doing here, and you involved her in all of this."

"It didn't bother her when she took the job on. She's not stupid, she knew what she was getting in to."

"Things change, don't they?" Michael's attention turned towards Arthur and Danny as they approached them. "Well?"

"Everything's good to go." Arthur replied, looking between the two with a raised brow. "Everything alright here?"

"Just fine, Arthur." Tommy replied through gritted teeth.

"I love it when there's tension in the air, feels like I'm back in Ireland." Danny said with a grin on his face. "Where's my money?"

"In the car. Go and fetch it Arthur." Tommy didn't take his eyes off Danny as he swayed back and forth with a smug look on his face.

"Alright Tom," he rubbed his cold hands together and wandered towards the car. He stopped in his tracks when another car pulled into the clearing.

"Have to ask, why did you need an advance on your money? We all agreed that once the guns were delivered, we'd get paid." Tommy watched Danny with a raised brow.

"Won't be here for much longer and I don't plan on coming back to collect. You just keep that three grand and we'll be even."

"Tom!" Arthur called out, stopping Tommy from questioning Danny any further.

* * *

All of them looked towards the cab and when Alice stepped out of it with a determined look on her face, no one was happy to see her there.

"Alice, why're you here?" Michael asked as he approached her swiftly.

"I can't leave on bad terms." She replied quietly, her eyes glued to her brother's as he stared back at her sternly.

"I thought I told you to keep her away?" Danny's eyes snapped towards Tommy. He was pissed off; he didn't want to see her.

"I told her to stay away. But she's not my responsibility, she ain't my secretary anymore." Tommy clenched his hands into fists as he watched Alice stroll towards them.

"I don't want to speak to you." Danny said before she had a chance to say anything.

"I don't care if you want to, you're going to. I'm not taking no for an answer." She started to walk towards the office building but stopped when she didn't hear his footsteps behind her. "Danny, do you really want father to look down on us fighting like this?"

He let out a deep sigh and glanced at Tommy and Michael. "Have the smart one count my money, this won't take long." He reluctantly followed Alice into the building and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

Alice rubbed her growing belly as she watched Danny pace around the small room; his movements were making her nervous, but she knew that he wasn't going to do anything to her. She knew he felt guilty about pushing her and that was the only thing she was certain of.

"Michael, Johnny and I are leaving for New York tomorrow night and I couldn't leave Birmingham without trying to make things right between us."

"What?" he stopped and watched the floor for a second before looking at Alice. "You're moving to New York? You can't move to New York."

Alice raised a brow at Danny's shocked expression, his face turning a paler white as his hands moved to the top of his head. "Yeah I can, and I will, it's the right thing to do for Johnny."

He nodded at her, wanting to tell her to stay but he couldn't say the words. "If that's all you wanted to say to me," He dropped his hands by his sides and went to walk away.

"It's not all I have to say. I should've told you about Nora from the beginning but I found out about her when you were trying to marry me off; I think you can understand why I wasn't in a big rush to tell you about her."

"We haven't been fighting the whole time. You told me about your pregnancy early on, so why didn't you say something then? Then, without saying anything you invite the both of us to your party and expect me to react the way you wanted me to, to your secret." He felt jealous, he didn't know why but he couldn't help how he felt. It was probably because he was never as close to his sister as he wanted to be. "This whole situation makes me feel weird, Alice and the reason why I didn't want you coming down here was so that I can heal my bruised ego. But you can't leave well enough alone, can you"

"If I had the time to sit around and wait, I would."

"No, you wouldn't, I know you too well."

She made a face, as if she agreed with what he said. "I am sorry, Danny. I'm actually admitting that I'm in the wrong," she let out an exasperated breath with a small smile, "can't we try and build our relationship again?"

He weighed up his options, his glance turning away from her. If she knew what he was planning, she wouldn't be standing here in front of him, begging him to forgive her. What he was going to say was going to save himself from a whole pile of hurt later down the line.

"I never want to see you again, I wish I could forgive you," he glanced at her, his face showing how torn he was about the words that he was saying, "but I can't move past this."

* * *

The doors flew open, smacking against the walls and drawing the Shelby's and Michael's attention to Danny. He marched towards them and waved for the briefcase to be handed over to him. Moments later, Alice appeared, her face wet from her tears. Michael looked towards her and glared at Danny before attempting to console his wife.

"Is it all there?" he asked without emotion.

"Mhm." Tommy grunted as the briefcase was snatched from his hand. "Someone's in a rush."

"Wish I could say it was good doing business with you," Danny fixed his coat and glanced once more at his little sister before taking a few steps back. "I'd love to hang around, but I've got a boat to catch."

"No one's going to stop you." Arthur replied as he stepped towards Alice and Michael, his head hung low, shaking from side to side.

Tommy didn't budge, he was going to watch Danny get on that ship and sail out of their lives. That man had been nothing but a thorn in his side for months and now the pain was gone. Relief flooded him as the ship left the dock but when he caught sight of Peter strolling leisurely towards him.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you, Mr Shelby. If all goes well, you won't be seeing my face again, as I'm sure you'll be happy to know."

"Likewise." Tommy offered his Polish counterpart a cigarette, but he declined with a raised hand. "When will I expect my payment to be delivered?"

"We've got your money stashed away somewhere safe. Don't worry, I'll have someone deliver in due time. Good luck in your future endeavours." Peter walked away from him and returned to his car before zooming off, leaving a trail of dust behind him.

* * *

"I guess this is the last time we'll all be standing together." Arthur said as Tommy approached them. They had just calmed Alice down and now things were beginning to feel tense again.

"Why did you have to make things even more awkward than what they already were?" Michael complained with a jokey tone. His eyes flitted between Tommy and Alice as they avoided eye contact.

"Well, is it not the truth? Once you leave, that'll be it. We'll never see that baby of yours and the only contact we'll have is on holidays over the phone." Arthur explained and he put his hands in his pockets. He hated this, all the goodbyes; when a deal was done, it always ended up like this.

"We'll be back, Arthur," Michael placed a hand comfortingly on his shoulder and threw him a sincere look, "we're still family."

"Even if we're an ocean apart." Tommy commented with a nod. "And I've been doing a bit of thinking as I was watching that ship leave, I've been wanting to establish the Shelby company over in America and with the two of you leaving for New York, why can't we all win?"

Alice looked at Michael and placed her hands on the small of her back. "Everything would be legal?"

"Nothing illegal, you have my word." He turned his attention to Michael and pointed at him. "You've a head for numbers, far better than me. That stock market interests me, and we can make a fair bit of money if we play our cards right."

"What do you think, Alice?" Michael returned her gaze.

She could see by the way his eyes twinkled that he wanted this, and she couldn't help but feel like she was ripping him away from his family, even if it was the right thing to do. "It's up to you, I'll be a lady of leisure until this baby is born." She replied with a small smirk. "I'm behind you with whatever you decide." She said quietly.

He let out a breath and weighed up his pros and cons. He knew that Alice didn't want to work with Tommy anymore, but they couldn't survive without an income. He shook Tommy's hand, a grin appearing on his face. "We'll make this work."

"I believe we can. It's nice getting back into business with you." A smile finally crept onto Tommy's face and with it, Arthur started to become less erratic.

Alice watched with a small smile, it was hard to turn your back on family, even if they did things that you didn't whole heartedly agree with; it made her wonder how Danny was able to dismiss her so quickly. She could put her differences with Tommy to the side, why couldn't Danny do that for his own blood? Something was going on, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it, whether she was across an ocean or not.

* * *

As they loaded up their car, she thought about the way Danny reacted when she told him about the move, it was strange, and his reaction was shifty. Alice leaned against the car and tried to work out what was going on with her brother as she felt an uneasiness fester in her stomach. It made her feel ill, did she bring a rat into the family? For her own sake, she had to be wrong, Alice had to trust that even though they were no longer on speaking terms, he would keep his promise and wouldn't betray her trust.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Michael's voice made her wake up and come back to reality. She watched him as he carried their final trunk out of the house and peeled herself from the car. "I'm okay."

"You look like you've seen a ghost." He closed the boot of the car and placed his hands on his hips. "You're not regretting taking Tommy up on his offer, are you?"

Alice rolled her eyes playfully and slipped her arms in between the loops of his, clasping her hands around the back of him. "I told you that I'm fine with it as long as Tommy gets permits for racecourses."

"Then why are you so pale?"

She didn't want to voice her concerns with Michael, but she didn't want secrets in their marriage. With a sigh, she said, "I'm starting to have doubts about Danny, I think he might've done something."

"You know that he's not smart enough to pull something off, especially with limited time."

"He got what he wanted when we married each other." She reminded him.

"I would've married you anyway. Had I have known about Johnny I would've married you a long time ago, so it wasn't really a mastermind plan." He removed her hands from his back and pushed the hair out of her face. "There's no need for you to be worrying about Danny Finlay and his band of gypsies. Now that he's got his money, we'll probably never hear from him again."

All she wanted was to take comfort in Michael's words, but she knew better than to sleep on Danny; her mother's words stung her ears, she was expecting a betrayal and now she was going to have to prepare herself for a possible war with her brother. But it would have to wait until they set foot on New York concrete.

* * *

**A:N Hope you all had a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year, I know this chapter is shorter than usual but I didn't think it was right to start in New York until the next chapter. I still have plenty to add to this story and I don't see it slowing down any time soon. We haven't saw the last of Nora or Danny so I hope you're all ready for what's going to come next! Thank you for your continued support on this story, and I hope 2020 is brilliant to you all!**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty**

* * *

_April 1927, New York City_

Bringing the company to America was one of the smartest ideas he had and with Michael at the helm of the operations, things were running smoothly. They were making profit, establishing a name for themselves and with the Preakness Stakes coming up in May, they were set to making a killing. But most importantly, Johnny seemed to be happy; he missed having Pol around him most days, but he was making friends and appeared to be coming out of the shy shell he protected himself with. Everything was too perfect, and all Alice could do was wait for the bullet that would burst their bubble; it was hard for her to do anything else when she struggled to leave the house. All she had was a few weeks left of her pregnancy and being mobile took too much out of her. In a way, she hoped that she would have the baby before returning to Birmingham, but the baby wasn't going to budge.

"Have you saw the numbers?" Michael asked as he came down from his upstairs office. "Tommy is going to lose his mind when I tell him."

"I had a quick look; how did you manage to make people bet on the wrong horse?" she got out of her chair slowly and followed him through their home. She had never saw this side of the business before and it intrigued her.

"Long story short, pay the jockey to come in second." Michael fixed himself in the mirror, running his palm over his hair, slicking it down flat. He was having dinner with a potential client and had to look pristine. He buttoned up his blazer and turned to Alice, placing a kiss on her head. "I put Johnny to sleep before I came down, please don't wait up for me."

"I can't help it; you know I like to make sure you are home before I go to bed."

"No, you're going up now," when she folded her arms across her chest in protest, he tilted his head and placed his arm around her shoulders, "you need all the rest you can get."

"I'm not even tired, Michael."

He led her towards the staircase and let her go. "Don't lie, I can tell by your face." He kissed her gently and grabbed his coat from the bannister. "I'll be home before you even wake up, it'll be like I wasn't out."

She shook her head before giving in. "You better be and stay safe. I'm telling you now, something's going to happen."

"You've been saying that since we got here. Go to bed, Alice."

"I love you." She called out but he mustn't have heard her as the door closed seconds later. She didn't know what was coming but there was a chill in her bones and that didn't mean anything good.

* * *

The meeting was set to take place in an underground speakeasy in an unfamiliar part of the city; but Michael wasn't stupid, he brought his gun and a couple of trusted colleagues to accompany him. He gave his name at the front door and followed the guard down the stairs to the club. It was booming with people dancing to the jazz band and in the corner of the room, there was a booth reserved for them. Michael sat in the middle and ordered a few drinks as he waited for his client to arrive. He took a sip of his drink and caught a familiar face approaching him from the corner of his eye.

"Michael Gray, you have no idea how easy you are to lure out of your fortress."

"Igor or Peter? I can't remember which one you are."

"Igor, Peter's waiting for us outside."

Michael set his glass on the table and leaned into his seat. "I'm waiting for a client so whatever this is, it'll have to wait."

"I'm the one that called you and this is my place." Igor rested his hands on the table and got as close to Michael as he could before Michael's friends drew their firearms. "Tell them to put it down or you will regret it."

Michael looked over Igor's shoulder when the music died and noticed that the barman had a shotgun pointed at them and the guard from the door had a pistol for each hand. Then he looked at Igor's belt and noticed his revolver. "Put the guns down." He said through gritted teeth.

Igor looked over his shoulder and gave a nod to his associates. "As I said, Peter's waiting." When Michael's entourage got onto their feet, Igor wagged a finger at them. "Only him, my friends will keep you company."

Michael watched two more Flatheads take the empty spaces across the table from him and let out a disgruntled sigh. "What is this all about?" he asked as he followed Igor out of the underground. "Peter told Tommy that we wouldn't see each other again."

"That was before half the guns went missing."

Michael's brows furrowed and he stopped when they got to Peter's car. "But you paid the money, why would you pay if only half the guns made it to New York?"

"We couldn't have you knowing we were coming. Now get in the car or I'll call my friend and tell him to pay your wife and son a visit."

He clenched his jaw and did as he was told, climbing in beside Peter before Igor took the seat on the other side. He was stuck in the middle of them with nowhere to go. He wouldn't risk it, not when they could hurt his family. He would comply until he knew they were out of harm's way.

* * *

He was tied up and blindfolded, sitting on an uncomfortable, wooden chair in some storage lock up by the docks. He knew where he was by the foul smell the came from the water. It was the first thing he noticed when he arrived in this city. He could hear Igor and Peter talking to someone in Polish, but he had never heard the third voice before. He had no idea who it was. Michael tried his best to loosen his binds but there was no way he was getting them off.

"So, you are one of the Peaky Blinders." The unfamiliar voice said as he approached Michael. "The accountant. You made a big mistake coming here. Should've stayed in your own playpen."

"If you're going to ask me about the missing guns, I don't know where they are or who took them."

The man pulled Michael's blindfold off and he came face to face with who he assumed was the gang leader of the Flatheads. This man wasn't well built but his face was sinister; his blonde hair slicked back with a few curls framing his unforgiving face. He didn't scare Michael, but he was at a disadvantage and he didn't know if this man was going to let him leave this locker alive.

"Who are you?" he asked him.

"Don't you read the newspapers, Michael Gray? I'm Paul Jarowski, the name ought to ring a bell."

Michael smirked; he knew the name. He didn't think anything of it at the time but now things were becoming clear. "You're that friend of Danny Finlay."

"Yes, I believe he mentioned me in that little meeting of yours."

"You should pick better friends because he made you seem like you were untrustworthy."

Paul let out a laugh and raised his brows. "And you believed him? He's a fucking gypsy." He stood up straight and paced around Michael's chair. "Then again, why wouldn't you believe him? You married his sister." He said in his ear lowly. "Poor Alice will be waiting for you."

"Alice has nothing to do with this, leave her out of it. She's fucking pregnant." He fidgeted and squirmed in his seat, but nothing would budge.

"I know that, I know everything, except where my guns went. I got caught because we didn't have enough firepower to take down that armoured car in Pittsburgh and now some poor lookalike is doing my time for me so unless you want his service to be in vain, I would suggest you start talking." He knocked over Michael and towered over him. "Which one of you Peaky bastards took the guns?"

* * *

_London_

He returned from Parliament and sank into his chair, removing the glasses from his face and rubbing his tired eyes with his fingertips. He was hoping for a peaceful afternoon but that wasn't on the cards. His new secretary knocked on his door and stepped into his office. She was young but had plenty of experience, knew how to type and seemed to have an interest in politics. He had a hard time finding someone to replace Alice and do her job well, but Mary seemed like she was capable enough.

"Mr Shelby, your brother Arthur is on the line, he's been trying to contact you all day."

"Is it important?"

"He's called about twenty times so I would say so." She smiled slightly and set a few files on his desk. "I'll put him through then?"

"I suppose so, he'll only do your head in." he stared at his phone for a moment before placing the receiver by his ear. "What is it Arthur?"

"Tommy, where the fuck have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you." His voice was strained with panic and worry, it had been a while since Tommy had heard him like this.

"Calm down Arthur and tell me what's going on." He sat upright and prepared himself for whatever news Arthur was going to deal him.

"The office… The Garrison. Someone's blew it up!"

"Was anyone hurt, Arthur?"

"No. Whoever did this, did it in the dead of night."

Tommy moved the phone from his face and took in a deep breath. "Do we know who did it?"

"Pol has a few ideas, but I think she's mad."

"Spit it out Arthur, who?"

"She thinks it's the IRA. They went for the Garrison the last time and she thinks it's all too familiar."

"We've had no dealings with the IRA in years."

"But now you're government, Tom." Arthur sighed down the phone. "Has anything been sent to you recently?"

"Nothing."

"You've got to watch your back; we don't know who or where they are."

"I'll be back in Birmingham tonight. Get on the phone to Michael and tell him to get the first boat home. It's not safe for the family to be out of Birmingham."

"I'll get on it Tommy."

* * *

The line went dead and Tommy slammed the phone down. He didn't know what he was going to be returning home to, if the damage was bad and the explosives were placed right, then all the money and all their permits were gone. He'd have to assess it for himself to know.

"Mary," he called out. When she appeared at the door, he got onto his feet and put his coat on, "have my car pulled round." As she nodded and started to close the door, Tommy remembered that he had saw something on her resume about Ireland. "Mary?"

"Yes, Mr Shelby?"

"I was thinking of going on a family holiday to Ireland, somewhere quiet. Have you ever been?" he stepped towards the door and followed her down the hallway to her desk.

"I've heard that Kerry is beautiful if you're looking for somewhere out of the way. Beautiful countryside and small villages... I've never been myself though."

He nodded and placed his hands in his pockets. "Kerry, I'll look into it. Have a nice weekend."

Tommy got outside of the Parliament building and looked over at his car. It wasn't his usual driver that parked it and he noticed that he was quick to leave it. He turned in the opposite direction and ran as fast as he could down the street. When he was around the corner, he peered over and in an instant, the car exploded and was engulfed in flames. He should've realised the moment he saw the connection on Mary's resume, but he thought he was in the clear. There was going to be a war, he didn't know with who but whoever it was, was well connected. He rested his head on the brick wall and squeezed his eyes shut, if the IRA were rearing their heads, he was going to need to play this game the smart way; there would be no room for slip ups and misjudgement. He needed the whole family and the sooner that Michael and Alice were back on British soil, the better.

* * *

The soot filled their lungs as they stood in front of what was left of their office building; this attack on the Shelby's came out of nowhere and apart from the arson being committed by the IRA, they had no idea who spearheaded it. Tommy stepped into the remains first with Pol directly behind him. The first place he looked at was his safe and surprisingly, it was still held together; damaged on the outside but the inside was fine. He shared a look with his aunt and made a contented mumble under his breath.

"Whoever gave them information has been in this office but has never saw this. It isn't someone close to us."

"Why would you even think it was someone close?" she asked as she stared up at the exposed beams.

"You can never be too gullible, sometimes your greatest enemies are the ones closest. But not this time."

"I've sent Finn out to question people, see if anyone heard or saw anything." She remarked, curling her hand around her chin. "Arthur hasn't been able to get a hold of Michael and Alice, but he's going to keep trying."

He looked at her face and saw in her eye that she was worrying. "They wouldn't go to America."

"They've got connections there."

"They're more concerned with Britain, trust me." He stepped closer to her and lit a cigarette for her before lighting one for himself. "They tried to blow me up just like they did to my office and my pub." Pol remained silent; she wasn't surprised but more outraged. "I think my secretary is one of them. They're infiltrating the government for information."

"You think dozy little Mary is one of them?" she laughed, throwing her head back. "Yes Mr Shelby, no Shelby, do you want a cup of tea Mr Shelby?"

He ignored Pol's attempt at humour and clenched his jaw. "I don't know how I missed it, but she has connections to Ireland." He was usually so careful, but he didn't know how he let this slip through the cracks. He was disappointed in himself.

"Most people have connections to Ireland, dive deep enough into our family tree and we've got connections."

"Not as closely knit as her." He glanced at the embers that burned away at the end of his fingertips before taking a drag slowly. "She shares a flat with a few friends in Chelsea; have someone pick her up and bring her here. Tell them to be very careful."

"You're not being serious?"

His brow arched. "Look at my face and tell me if I'm joking or not."

She nodded and dropped her cigarette, folding her arms across her chest. "Fine, I'll get on it. You get to Arthur and make sure my grandson gets home safe."

* * *

_New York_

When she woke up, she looked behind her and saw Johnny where Michael should've been; was she in that deep of a sleep that she didn't notice him climbing into her bed? As quietly as she could, she got out of bed and threw something around her shoulders as she braved the cold house in search of her husband. He had to have been too drunk to make it up the stairs, it was what she was telling herself. That was until she saw the sofa empty and no sign of Michael anywhere. Fear started to set in, she shouldn't have listened to him and trusted her gut instinct. God knows where he was or what had happened to him, not knowing was worse than anything she could imagine.

She was hovering over the phone, tempted to call the police but that would only cause them more trouble. Keeping him alive was worth it. When she reached out towards the phone, the front door opened and he appeared; his clothes bloodied and his face busted open, his left eye closed over and swollen. Alice gasped at the sight of him, her hand lifting to her mouth. He looked furious and he held his hand up when she approached him.

"I don't care about whatever deal we made but I promise you now, I am going to be the one that puts the bullet in Danny."

She removed her hand from her face, her eyes widening in anger. "Did he do this?"

"No, I was ambushed by the Polish. They thought that we skipped out on half the guns. That friend of Danny's, Paul, was so convinced that he did this," he pointed at his face and shrugged his blazer off with a wince, "to me. When he realised, I knew nothing, we all came to a group consensus that Danny double crossed us."

"I knew something was going on," she sighed and examined his face, gripping him by the chin softly to turn his head from side to side, "I'm actually going to kill him."

"Not if I get my hands on him first."

"We need to get your face cleaned up before Johnny wakes up."

"I'll just wash this blood off, I've got to call Tommy."

"No, Tommy can wait. All your cuts need disinfected. Go get a bottle of whiskey."

* * *

He sat on the floor in front of her as she dabbed at his face with the alcohol. It burned him like he had stuck his face in the fireplace, and it took everything in him to not curse and yell. He knew that she was blaming herself for all of this, but it wasn't her fault that she believed him; it was hard to see the bad in someone you care about. He placed his hand on her knee and watched her eyes roll towards his face.

"From now on, I'm trusting your gypsy blood." He tried his best to curl his mouth up into a smirk, but it hurt too much.

"You should've from the beginning. I should've listened to it too. I guess we're both dumb." She tilted his head up and looked at his swollen eye, tutting to herself. "You would think they would've realised you knew nothing, sooner."

"You would think that." He watched as the shrill sound of the phone made Alice jump but before she could go to answer it, Michael jumped up and answered it before she had the chance. "Hello?"

"Michael, finally." he sighed, "It's Arthur."

"Is everything okay? You don't sound good." He stepped around the round table, peeking at Alice as she watched inattentively.

"I've been better. You and Alice need to come back to Birmingham, Tommy says it ain't safe for the family to be scattered right now."

"What happened, Arthur?"

"It's not best discussed over the phone. Just get the next boat home. We have plenty to talk about when you return."

"Tell me about it, I just spent the night tied up in a storage locker."

"What the fuck, Michael? Who was it?"

"The Polish. But as you say, it's not best to talk about this on the phone. Looks like we'll be having a long conversation in Birmingham."

"Keep your nose out of trouble 'til you get back."

"I'll try my best. We'll be seeing you in a few weeks."

* * *

**A:N What do you think's going to happen next? Will Michael finally get his hands on Danny or will someone else beat him to the punch? Thank you so much for reading, hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	21. Chapter Twenty One

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-One**

* * *

As she stepped off the boat, her hand on Michael's back as they carried their sleeping son, it felt like she had never left and being back made her feel frustrated; their life in New York was perfect until things started going south. She hoped that they could wrap things off quickly, but with the severity of what was going on around them, that wasn't looking likely.

"What happened to you?" Pol exclaimed as she rushed over to Michael, her hands touching his bruised face gently.

"Arthur didn't tell you… This is a lot better," he handed Johnny over to his mother slowly, "you should've saw me a few weeks ago."

"Just wait until I get my hands on him. Well, you better tell me what happened back in New York." She looked at her son's damaged face once more before turning to Alice. Pol was happy that she was going to get her wish; a grandchild born in Birmingham. "Glad to see that you're still pregnant. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm about to explode," when Michael smirked at her from over his shoulder, she remembered about Tommy's office, pub and his car and pursed her lips together for a second, "I didn't mean it like that."

"I know you didn't," Pol fixed her grip on her sleeping boy and turned to lead them to her car, "I just wouldn't use that phrase around Tommy. Or do, at your own peril."

"I don't have a death wish." Alice replied as she followed behind her husband. She knew that Tommy was going to be delicate and she had her suspicions that she would get the brunt of his blame.

* * *

Tommy's house was eerily quiet without the kids; Lizzie and Linda made themselves scarce and kept the kids in the city while everyone aired out their grievances in Tommy's country home. The room was tense as the whole family waited for Tommy's words, but not even he knew what he was going to say. How could he be outsmarted by Danny Finlay? He knew that a betrayal was coming, Tommy knew that from the very beginning, and he thought he had been careful, but Danny dropped hints that no one picked up on. How did they slip through Tommy's fingers especially when he never trusted him?

He looked up from the table and looked at each of his family in turn, but his eyes lingered on Alice as she kept her head down and her hands clasped on top of her bump. When he felt Michael's eyes on him, he looked away and lit up a cigarette.

"We're deep into this mess, I'm not going to sugar coat it. The Polish are pissed off and Danny has us wrapped up with the IRA. Neither of our enemies are to be taken lightly."

"The Polish aren't our enemies; they're wanting Danny's blood as much as we are. If anything, they're our allies." Michael replied as he fidgeted in his chair.

"Have you taken a proper look at your face?" Ada replied calmly; out of everyone, she was going to have to play mediator. "An ally doesn't leave a mark like that."

"Because they though we were the ones that stopped their guns from arriving, but we quickly came to the conclusion that it was Danny; granted it wasn't that quick, but at least a decision was made." He replied before turning his attention back to his cousin, locking eyes with him. "Paul and his group of merry men are coming and they're going to help us get a hold of Danny. They want what they paid for and we all want his head. It's just going to be a matter of who finds him first."

"Well, if luck is on our side, we'll find him first." Pol folded her arms across her chest and picked at a loose thread on her dress. "Tommy, you mentioned to me that you think you have a lead."

"My secretary, Mary, is obviously a plant by the IRA to stay close to me; she mentioned something about Kerry." He scratched the top of his head and wetted his bottom lip. "I'm not sure if it means anything."

"Kerry?" Alice finally looked up; her brows raised. "You can't be serious?"

"What is it?" Tommy leaned in closer, resting his hands on the table.

She looked towards the ceiling and shook her head, her eyes closing over in annoyance. "I can't believe he's hiding out there." She said to herself. When she felt Michael's hand on her shoulder, she opened her eyes and clenched her teeth together. "My father was from County Kerry; he lived in a camp near a small market town," she placed her hand against her face as she tried to remember the stories her father used to tell her about his hometown, "Listowel. As far as I'm aware, although I can't be certain because I never asked, but Danny's mother and her gypsy clan are still there."

"Do you think it's possible that he'd go back?"

"Definitely, that side of his bloodline is the only one that would have him." She said boldly as she glanced at Michael's bruised face. "Apart from me, it's the only blood he's got left."

"If he's hiding out there, we'll find him." Tommy replied sternly.

"If any of our people walk into Kerry, none of them will make it out alive. Kerry is full of IRA. If anything, it's a stronghold."

"What if you walked in?"

"No, Tommy. There's no chance that Alice is going there." Michael was furious. How dare he suggest something like that. He wasn't going to put his wife in the firing lines.

"Why not? Her father is from Kerry and all she has to do is use her maiden name. They won't touch her."

"They'll hear our accent and know who she is." His face became twisted with rage and he clenched his fists underneath the table. "Do you really think Danny hasn't told everyone about her? He made it clear to Alice and all of us that he didn't give a fuck when he made a stop in Ireland. Alice isn't going and that's the end of it."

"What you're suggesting doesn't make sense Tommy." Pol's tone was softer; she was smart enough to know that if she was going to reason with her nephew, she couldn't scream and yell. "Why fight Danny on his turf when he's bound to come to ours."

"Why do you think he'll come here?"

"Because, contrary to what Michael believes, I think he does care about Alice and if he doesn't, he cares about Johnny and that baby."

"No, he doesn't care; perhaps if we left on good terms but not now. He knew we were going to New York, that we would be in danger if he turned on the Polish and he did it anyway. There's one thing that he does care about and that was our father." She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. "The anniversary of his death is in May and he's buried beside my mother. Michael knows where she's buried, so he can tell you the location." She got out of her chair and wrapped her cardigan tight around herself.

"Where are you going?" Michael looked concerned; she was ghostly white.

"I just need some air."

"Before you go, there's one more thing that I want to say and then you can leave." Tommy settled back into his chair and watched her eyes roll towards him. He continued when she looked at him expectantly, both knew what was coming next. "Have you been working with your brother to take us down from the inside?"

"Tommy this is crazy," Pol sounded disappointed, "why would she be working with him?"

"You're having a laugh, aren't you Tom?" Michael glared at him, he was spitting venom and all he wanted to do was grip him by the throat and knock a bit of sense into him. He understood that he was fragile, but this was ridiculous. "You really think Alice had something to do with all this?"

"Tommy, you're not thinking straight, this doesn't make sense." Arthur was trying to rationalise things, but his brother wasn't going to listen.

"If you think about it, Alice was the one who came to me looking for work and brought Danny in on this deal. You travelled with him quite often and blood is thicker than that gold wedding band on your finger. You tried to convince us that he was going to behave, so I'll ask again… Have you been trying to destroy our family from the inside?"

"You don't have to answer that, because it's fucking insane." Michael gripped onto her forearm and looked up at her.

"No," she held her hand up, "I'll answer. Of course, I wasn't working with him. You were the one that made me lie to Mr Tweedy if you remember correctly. You made me say that Danny would stand down which brought him to my mother's freshly dug grave because Mr Tweedy mouthed off that I gave him my word. I travelled with Danny because I wanted to give him the chance because he told me he wanted a relationship with me and Johnny, and I trusted him. My blood has done nothing but fuck me over and unless you forget, Michael has given me the chance to be a mother not once but twice and I want nothing more than for the soon to be four of us to have a quiet life." She was breathing heavy and beads of sweat started to break through her hairline as pain rippled through her body. The stress and anger were aggravating the baby and she knew that her labour was looming. "Don't ever ask me something so stupid again."

Before anyone could say anything in reply, Alice left the room with her arm wrapped underneath her bump and a pained groan. Michael got onto his feet and ran towards the door, lingering for a moment.

"If anyone is going to tear this family apart, it'll be you Tommy."

"I'm the only one keeping us together." He called out, staring after Michael but his statement fell on deaf ears.

* * *

She rested her body against the wall and took short and sharp breaths as she tried to calm herself down. Alice wasn't prepared for the baby to arrive; they hadn't had the time to set up a crib in their home but there wasn't much she could do now. She doubled over and tried to muffle her screaming; she was in that much pain that she didn't hear Michael and Pol calling for her. Pol was the one to get her upright again, her hands gripped tightly on her shoulders.

"Michael, go get the car, she needs to see a doctor." Pol rubbed her back gently and allowed Alice to lean on her. "Men get it so easy, don't they?"

"Tell me about it." She replied through gritted teeth. "Everything's going to be okay, isn't it? Tommy…"

"He didn't mean what he said. But this isn't the time to be worrying about his ramblings." When Michael stopped the car in front of them, Pol helped her climb into the car. "Take her to Dr McIntyre, he's the best in the city."

"You're not coming?" he had missed the birth of his first child and going through this without his mother's wise words scared him.

"No, I have to clean this mess up, but I'll be close behind. Take care of her, Michael." She shut the door and watched the car until it was out of sight. If any of them were going to have an easy life, she needed to bring Tommy into the light. He never thought logically when he was spooked. And this was the worst she had saw him in a long time.

* * *

When she re-entered the room, Tommy had cleared everyone else out and sat alone at his table with a bottle of whiskey and a glass in his hand. Pol shook her head and closed the door behind her. He didn't even flinch when she snatched the bottle from his hand.

"Irish? A bit ironic, isn't it?"

"What can I say, it gets me drunk quicker." He let out a sigh and pressed a few fingers into his temple. "What am I going to do?"

"If the Polish are coming like Michael said, then we can use them to our advantage. Michael won't let Alice go to Ireland, but they can. And, if Danny does appear on the anniversary of their father's death, then we'll be ready for him."

"I don't mean about that, Pol. I can come up with a plan myself."

"Then what are you talking about, because you're not making much sense."

"I thought that if I let Michael go to New York and continue working for the business doing legitimate work that he would remain loyal to us. But being in New York with only Alice as support… His loyalties lie with her and that is dangerous."

"Why? Because he's speaking against you now?" when he stared up at her with his icy eyes, she let out a sigh and sat beside him, removing the leather gloves from her hands. "Do you remember when you and Grace first married?"

"Vividly."

"Do you remember how many times you argued and disagreed with me because of Grace and Charlie? Because you had to do what you thought was best for them?" his silence was all the answers she needed. He finished off the rest of his drink and let out a grunt. "Michael has to do what's best for his wife and children as you did for yours. All you have to do is give Alice the respect she deserves as a member of this family and Michael will have no reason to turn his back on you."

"I've given Alice nothing but respect."

"Is that what that was earlier? If you respected her, you would never have asked that question."

"You're right, as always Pol." He got onto his feet a little unsteadily and buttoned up his blazer. "Are they still outside? I'll apologise to her now."

"Michael's taking her to the doctor, she's gone into labour."

"Well, what are you still doing here?"

"The baby won't arrive for another couple of hours and I have to keep you on the straight and narrow. You need to be on top of your game if you want us to survive this."

"Don't worry, I will be."

* * *

Now that Alice finally had her daughter in her arms, she could rest; Michael was collecting Johnny and Pol was giving her the time alone with her baby. It was what she needed; she had to get to know her daughter before she could gift her with a name. "You don't look like a Prue or a Joan. Perhaps something a little less plain like Alexandra?"

"How about something strong like Victoria; you always enjoyed hearing your mother talk about the great Queen Victoria."

Alice knew the voice without having to look at the face. "What are you doing here, Danny? Have you got the Republicans waiting for me outside?"

"I wouldn't do that to you." He stepped into the room and peered down at the baby with a smile. "I didn't expect you to be alone."

"You knew that I was, or you wouldn't have come in here. You're lucky that I'm holding my daughter, or I'd redden that face of yours. How dare you come here." She could feel her bones trembling with anger.

"I had to clear the air with you, I heard that you were back in town."

"Have you got people watching me?"

He raised a brow and folded his arms across his chest. "I've got eyes and ears everywhere. Perks of having powerful friends."

She nodded and chewed on the inside of her cheek. "What do you want, apart from torturing me with your presence?"

"I told you, I want to explain why I did what I did."

"You mean betray me?"

"I didn't betray you; it was Tommy Shelby and his family that I betrayed. If I had of known sooner that you were going to New York, I might have been able to warn you."

"Do you not realise that by betraying Tommy and his family that you were doing the same to me? I'm married to Michael and therefore part of the family. Speaking of, you could've got my husband killed. You should've told me then and there what you were doing."

"And have you kill me or worse, have the IRA after me? I don't think so. I've got my own family to look after." He set his hand on top of her head, stroking her hair gently. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"It's a bit late for that, and I'd suggest you take your hand off me." When he complied with her demand, she peeled her eyes away from him. "That story you told us about Paul Jarowski… He didn't mistake you for an IRA man, did he? You've been with them the whole time."

"I've had allegiance with them."

"I don't ever want to see you again, Danny and if I do, I'll do what I should've done the day of my mother's funeral. But this time I won't let you talk your way out of it."

"Alice…"

"Get out, Danny." She raised her voice slightly, enough to make her point while keeping her baby calm. "Michael will be back with Johnny soon, I'm sure you're not stupid enough to hang around."

"Very well," he stepped towards the door and looked over his shoulder at her, "I just needed to clear my conscience. And I know you don't believe me when I say it, but I do love you little sis. Take care of yourself."

She watched him leave, a sickly feeling waving over her. Alice didn't know what to do, did she keep this conversation to herself or did she tell Michael and Tommy about Danny's visit?

* * *

**A:N What do you think's going to happen between Tommy and Alice? Will they be able to move on from his accusations or will it tear the Shelbys and Grays apart? What about Danny, will Alice keep his appearance to herself? Find out in the next chapter! Thank you so much for all the support!**


	22. Chapter Twenty Two

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Two **

* * *

It only took Michael a moment to realise that something was wrong with Alice, she should've been over the moon as she held their daughter in her arms, but instead, she was angry and clearly upset. Not even Johnny made her smile. He took their daughter into his arms and let Johnny sit on his lap to get a good look at their new addition. He stared down at his daughter, love for her taking over him completely; he didn't get to experience this the first time around and he wasn't going to ask Alice any questions until he had his moment with his daughter and son. He could feel Alice's eyes on him and when he looked at her, he saw a small glimmer of a smile.

"Your mum will be back soon, and I know she's going to fight you for a chance to hold her." She said quietly.

"She can try. I'm not letting these two, go." He wrapped his arm around Johnny, pulling him in closer and placing a kiss on his head. "Today's just proved to me that this little family of ours, it's golden and I'm going to protect us, Alice." He nodded at her sincerely as she looked back at him with fear in her eyes.

"There's something that I need to tell you and it's probably best to tell you while you're holding both of our children in your arms." When he raised a brow at her, she could feel herself break into a nervous sweat. "Danny was here, and he is working with the Republicans, he always has. If he isn't in Listowel, he'll still be in Birmingham or close by."

Michael tried to remain calm, but his face was giving away how furious he truly was. "What else did he say to you?"

"He said that it wasn't me that he was betraying, that it was your family." She tried to sit herself up, moving as slowly as she could. "I told him that your family is my family and to betray them is to do the same to me. I'm going to do whatever it takes to help get rid of him, Michael. And I don't want you to argue back with me."

"Tommy might need you more than he ever did. You know how Danny thinks."

"And I might know what he's going to do next."

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when they all got the call to meet in Tommy's office, but it wasn't Tommy who made the call. The Shelby's were either half asleep or in Tommy's case, hadn't let their head hit a pillow yet. They waited for Michael to arrive and when he did, they could tell by his face that he was exhausted but determined.

"Before I get into the bad stuff, I want to let you all know that Alice had a baby girl and both of them are happy and healthy." He clasped his hands and closed his eyes for a moment. "Now, onto what I actually called you all here for, Danny paid Alice a visit while I was collecting Johnny and Alice thinks she knows what his next move will be."

"Did he tell her what he was planning?" Tommy was hoping that this mess was going to be over and done with quickly.

"No, but Alice knows how Danny thinks and he may have dropped her a few clues without realising. He had mentioned to her that if he didn't deliver those guns to the IRA, that they would come after him, so he's not part of the IRA, they just work together. Something that the IRA needs is money. They can't strike in Ireland because the Protestants in the North will come down from Belfast."

"And because of my history with the IRA and my standing in the British government, they thought I'd be an easy target. They hoped that the Polish would be locked up and they would only have to deal with us." Tommy was half right in his assumptions, but he could tell that there was more to this.

"They want to ruin us, personally and professionally. We still have bookies working the races and that's their way in; they can't get into our other businesses because nothing is as public as an event like the Grand National."

"But what makes her think that they're going to go after our bookies?" Arthur folded his arms and shrugged a little. "We've been at those events for years and the IRA have never showed their faces."

"That we know of, Danny says that they're everywhere. They could've even wormed their way into our businesses without us knowing but the first thing they'll ruin is our reputation and they know that our bookies will be carrying plenty of cash."

"They need money to fuel their war with the British army and they needed our guns. It makes sense, but I still don't understand how Alice figured this all out."

"She was reading a newspaper while my mum was holding the baby and saw that a horse called Victoria's Jubilee is picked to win and one of the names Danny suggested we call our daughter was Victoria. She thought nothing of it at the time, but she's had plenty of time to think in between feeds."

"Then we may get Paul and his friends some suits, because we're going to need all the help we can get." Tommy ran his hand over his tired face and shook the sleep from his eyes. "Michael, you make sure Alice and the baby get out of the hospital safely, Arthur will pick up the Polish from the docks tomorrow and get our boys ready for the races."

"I'm going to the National with you, Tom."

"Take some time off, be with your kids. You'll have plenty more opportunities to get back into the Birmingham way; these Irishmen aren't here for a fight, they're here for a war."

* * *

The next morning was frosty, and Arthur did his best to keep warm, rubbing his hands together vigorously as he waited for their new allies to get off the boat. He had no idea what Paul looked like, but he assumed it was the man in the fancy suit with two bodyguards accompanying him. "I hope you brought more guys like that." Arthur called out to him with a smirk.

"Who are you?" He wasn't pleased to see Arthur and he didn't do a good job of hiding it. He folded his arms across his chest as he waited for an answer impatiently.

"I'm Arthur Shelby…" when Paul tilted his head, he rolled his eyes. "Michael Gray's cousin."

"Where's Michael, I was under the impression that he would be waiting for me."

"His wife had a baby."

"And?" Paul raised a brow and looked around Arthurs' frame. "That your car?"

He glanced over his shoulder and nodded.

"You're going to need a bigger car," Paul turned his back to Arthur and waved over the rest of his friends. Arthur counted at least thirty of them, "I believe the IRA are here, and they've got my guns."

Arthur was stunned and impressed. "Word travels fast."

"Or Michael called to fill me in. So, are you in charge around here?"

"No, you're thinking of my brother Tommy."

"I want to speak with him then, find out what the plan is."

Arthur ran his fingertips across his moustache with distain; he didn't like this man and Paul was starting to get on his nerves. "You'll meet him at the Grand National, I'll explain on the way to Birmingham 'cause you're riding with me. Your friends can meet us there."

"Very well," he spoke to his friends in his native language, eyeing Arthur up every so often before following him to his car, "Do you think Danny Finlay will be there?"

Arthur started his car and turned to Paul. "How'd you come to meet Danny anyway?"

"This isn't my first trip to England, I needed ammunition and the word was that Danny supplied and didn't ask too many questions." Paul's brows became pointed, a warning to Arthur that he was going to ignore.

"I ask questions because you took my cousin hostage in New York and done a right number on him; he's not as pretty as what he used to be thanks to you."

Paul let out a laugh and shook his head. "Well, we've moved past that and struck a bond due to our mutual hatred for Danny."

"You want your hands on him, you're going to have to get in line. That pricks got more enemies than I've had hot dinners."

"As long as he perishes, then I'll consider it a victory."

Arthur chuckled as he sped away from the docks. "You're going to get along with Michael's wife."

* * *

As much as Alice hated being back in Birmingham, she was glad to be back in their home; their penthouse in New York didn't quite measure up to their house in the countryside. She watched as Johnny ran out to their garden and looked up at Michael with a small smile. She knew that he was glad to be back, and a slight feeling of guilt washed over her. It was her idea to leave this place behind and now she was starting to regret it.

"I'll let Mrs Adler know that we've returned, go get yourself comfortable." He kissed her delicately on the forehead before marching into the kitchen.

She looked down at her sleeping daughter and tiptoed towards the chair and sat down slowly, trying her best not to wake the baby. Once Johnny was bored with playing football by himself, he sat on the arm of the chair and stared down at his little sister.

"Do you love her, baby?" she looked up at him and grinned as he nodded.

"I can't wait until she can play football with me. Dad's so boring now, all he does is talk on the phone." He complained as he stroked his sister's soft cheek.

"Do you really think she'll like football?"

"She has to! Even you like football."

"I like football because you do." She turned her attention to the baby as she stirred in her arms. "What do you think we should call her?"

Johnny shrugged his shoulders and rested his head on Alice's. "I don't know any girl's names."

"I like the name Rose." Michael said as he came into the living room, a grin on his face as he picked Johnny up, hanging him upside down for a second. "And I heard that you think I'm boring."

"Dad, stop!" Johnny giggled as he tried to get out of his father's grasp.

"I'm not so boring now, am I?" he set him down and ruffled his hair. "What do you think of the name Rose?" he watched Alice as she tried to settle the baby.

"Why Rose?"

"Because if I remember correctly, you used to love it when I picked the wild roses for you when we were younger." When she bit her lip and raised her brow, he placed his hands in his pockets and scrunched up his face in uncertainty. "What's that face about?"

"I never liked the wild roses, I just told you that I did."

"Oh, now it comes out years later. What do you think of that Johnny? Your mother likes to keep secrets." He pulled a funny face at his son and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't want you feeling bad, your hands were always cut from the thorns." She smiled and set the baby down on her lap, supporting her head with her fingertips. "But I do like the name. Rose Gray. Short and sweet."

"So, we've finally picked a name?"

"I think we have." When Rose started to cry as she woke from her sleep, Alice held her close to her face. "Good morning Rose."

Johnny climbed back onto the arm of the chair, Michael's hand on his back for support. "Don't cry, Rosie. It's okay."

Michael watched them for a second, his heart warming at Johnny's interaction with his little sister; it was moment's like this that made everything he did worthwhile. He had to keep this safe, he had to keep them safe.

"I think she's hungry, dad." Johnny said as he peered down at Rose.

"Right, why don't we let your mum feed her and the two of us can have a kick about? I'll show you how fun I am, again." He helped Johnny down and took one more glance at his girls before facing the crisp morning air.

* * *

She stood at the door of Michael's office as he unpacked his boxes; he was so entranced with thoughts that he didn't even know that she was there. He almost jumped out of his skin when she cleared her throat and stopped what he was doing.

"Is Rose asleep?"

"Just went down."

"And Johnny?"

"He fell asleep in front of the fireplace. I've just put him to bed." She rested her weight on the doorframe and looked around the room. "Do you have to unpack that right now?"

"Better now than later." He lifted a heavier box and set it on his desk. "You don't have to wait up for me, you know."

"I know, but I want to. With everything that's been going on and all the visitors at the hospital, we haven't had the chance to speak. Is everything okay?"

He reached inside the box and pulled out a few files, flicking through them before he answered her question. "Yeah." He let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulders. "As okay as things can be in our situation."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't find anything for the business in New York because everything in this house needs unpacked, and it's not a sly dig at you because you've been taking care of the kids so well, and Paul Jarowski is in Birmingham and I just want to get my hands on Danny so that our lives can go back to normal." He rambled as he sorted his papers into piles. He could feel Alice's concerned stare on him as he took a sip of whiskey and looked at her.

"I meant with you; I can tell that you're not a hundred per cent."

"I'm just stressed and worried."

"Why are you worried, do you think that we won't pull through all this shit?" she stepped into the room and took a seat in front of him, wrapping her cardigan around her a little tighter.

"We will, we have to but at what cost? We always lose something or someone when we go to war. I just worry that it might be… It be might be,"

"Me?" she finished his sentence and watched his stature deflate. "You're worried that I'm going to get hurt."

"Before you came to Birmingham with Johnny, I was never scared of death. I would've done anything to make sure the family pulled through. Now, life seems a little bit more fragile. That scares me." He rested his hands on the desk and stared down at her sincerely as he laid his heart out to her. "And if anything happened to you, because of me… I wouldn't be able to bear it. Maybe if I had of stroked Danny's ego and tried a little harder with him, we wouldn't be in this war."

Alice shook her head and placed her hands over his; when she looked right into his eyes, she could see the internal conflict. Michael was trying to blame himself. "I am not going to get hurt, one thing that I'm certain of is that Danny wouldn't target me. You, yes. That didn't make things any better." She smiled slightly and stroked the top of his hand with her thumb. "I know that you want to be at that race, but I don't want you getting hurt either."

"I want to protect our family, Alice. I can't just sit around and wait for them to show up at our door."

"Sit this one out, Michael. I've never begged you for anything, but I'll beg you now. Whatever Tommy wants you to do after tomorrow, you can do it, but don't go to the Grand National. Not until we know the faces of our enemies."

"I won't go, are you happy now?"

"Very." She smiled as he lifted her hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it gently. "I'm going to sleep before Rose demands another feed. Don't stay up too long."

"No promises, just get some shut eye." He watched her leave the room and finished off his glass of whiskey before pouring another. Michael wasn't going to sleep until his space was back in some sort of order.

* * *

The hours passed him by, but he was finally satisfied with his office and now he'd be able to continue his business in America from the comfort of his home. His stomach rumbled angrily as he shut the door behind him; he was starving, and he needed something to soak up all the whiskey he drank. He switched on the lights in the kitchen and looked through the cupboards for something to satisfy him through the night. When he reached into one of the bottom cupboards, he heard something rattle in the storage room and it put him on edge. He placed his hand over his gun and waited for another noise. Was he just imagining things or was someone in his house? When his suspicion was confirmed, he took his pistol from the holster on his side and readied it before kicking the door open.

When the door smacked against the wall, the young man in chef whites dropped the produce he was carrying and held his hands up. He was shocked to see a gun pointed at his face. Michael looked him up and down before looking at the time on his watch.

"Who the fuck are you?"

The man gulped and closed his eyes. "My name is Sean."

His Irish accent was thick, and it made Michael sceptical. "Why are you here and who let you in?"

"Your housekeeper, Mrs Adler hired me as your family chef. She said with the new baby here, Mrs Gray shouldn't be cooking all the time, said that she should have more time with the baby. It's three, it takes a while to set everything up in such a big kitchen."

"Did Mrs Adler let you in?"

"She gave me the spare key. I'm sorry if I scared you, I just hoped that if things went well, you and Mrs Gray would keep me on once your wife was healed." When Michael's gun remained unwavering, the man kept rambling. "I know that childbirth takes a lot of time getting over; my wife and I have three kids ourselves."

He lowered his gun, but he kept it in his hand. "It does take a lot out of a woman. Listen, I'm sorry that I frightened you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm sure I frightened you too." The man got onto his knees and started to pick up the ingredients he dropped.

"What's your name again?" Michael kept his eye trained on the young man's head.

"Sean."

"And is that an Irish accent?"

"It is indeed. You've a keen ear."

"I've heard enough of the Irish accent over the past year to know that you've a Kerry accent." When the man stopped and looked up at him, Michael readied his gun once more. "Who sent you? Danny or the IRA?"

"You've got me confused for someone else."

"You're very unconvincing." Michael nodded towards the cellar door with a stern look. "Get down there or I blow your fucking brains out."

Sean got onto his feet slowly, with his hands in the air. He did as he was told and opened the cellar door, staring down at the concrete steps that led underground. "I'm not with the IRA, Mr Gray, I promise."

As soon as the intruder took a step down, Michael lifted his leg and pushed him down the stairs, switching the light on and closing the door behind him. Once Sean landed at the bottom, Michael peered down and watched him writhe around in pain before going down and getting to the bottom of this situation.

* * *

Sean woke up, tied up to a chair and with a headache that could kill. He looked around the seemingly empty wine cellar before trying to break free from his bindings. When he looked behind him to try and get a better look, he saw Michael sitting behind him, his shirt sleeves rolled up above his elbow and a sinister look on his face.

"I found your gun… and the explosives you planted in my kitchen." When Sean looked away from him and hung his head, Michael got onto his feet and walked around him until they were face to face once more. "You weren't expecting anyone to be awake, were you?" he gripped him by his mop of ginger hair and lifted his head. "Very silent now, aren't you Sean?"

"Rot in hell, Peaky bastard." He replied with a smirk.

"Which one are you? IRA or a gypsy boy?"

"I ain't saying anything. I hope not knowing the answer haunts you."

"If what my wife says is true, you wouldn't be a gypsy because her brother, Danny, wouldn't risk hurting her or our kids and she's certain of that... So that makes me think you're Republican."

"You'll never know."

"TNT isn't Danny's weapon of choice." Michael pulled the trigger before the Irishman could say anything else. He wiped Sean's splattered blood from his face with his forearm and re-holstered his gun. Michael needed to call Tommy and tell him but by the time he got to the top of the stairs, Alice was standing in the doorway, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes wide with anger.

"What's going on, Michael?"

* * *

**A:N Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter, I know it took a while but I wanted it to be perfect. Thank you so much for reading and the next one will be coming soon!**


	23. Chapter Twenty Three

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Three **

* * *

She stared down at the body that was still tied up to the chair, the blood dripping onto the concrete floor and his open eyes glazed over and cold. Alice let out a sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose as she tried to collect her thoughts; a year ago, Alice would've been disgusted by this, but now it didn't even bother her. She turned to Michael as he wiped the blood from his face with a rag and pushed her hair back, out of her face.

"Who is he and why was he in our house?"

"He was IRA and he was going to blow us up."

Her bones were trembling with rage; she was stupid to think that Danny wouldn't target her children. He wasn't on her side and as much as he argued that he was, it was all lies.

"How did he get into this house?"

"He said that Mrs Adler hired him, but I don't think she did; I think he prayed on her age and stole her house keys. No doubt she's been using the spare set thinking that she's misplaced her own." He moved the rag from his face and glanced at the dead IRA man. "I need to call Tommy."

She placed her hand on her chin and regarded the pool of blood. "Yeah, no doubt if these rats are getting into our house, they'll be trying the same elsewhere."

He backed up towards the staircase, keeping his eyes on his wife. "Are you okay? I'm sure this was the last thing you wanted to see."

"I'm fine." She nodded and turned to him. "I was just thinking that he," she pointed at the body in the chair, "was lucky he ran into you and not me because his death would've been more painful. No one else is going to get into the house where are two children sleep. You tell Tommy that I want people here at all times until Danny and the IRA are dealt with."

He had never saw this side of Alice and instead of fearing his wife's anger and determination, he embraced it; he always knew that she needed to be a little tougher to keep her head above water and to survive in his world and now he had no doubts. "I'll let him know, lock up the cellar when you leave; I don't want Mrs Adler walking in on this mess."

She watched Michael ascend the stairs and thought carefully about what she was going to say next. "I think you should go to the races, I wish I could go with you to make sure you're safe," she folded her arms across her chest and bit at her bottom lip, "but you better come back unharmed."

"I promise that I'll come back, no guarantees that I won't have a few cuts or bruises." He gave her a small, comforting smile and when she returned it, he left her to come to terms with the body in their cellar.

* * *

"Looks like someone's been let off their leash." Arthur beamed happily as he threw his arms around Michael, patting him excitedly on the back. "How come Alice let you out to play?"

"Didn't Tommy tell you?" when Arthur just raised a brow at him, Michael rolled his eyes and glanced at his watch. "Someone from the IRA tried to blow us up last night."

"Shit, they're everywhere then?" Finn went a little pale as he stared off into the distance. When he snapped himself out of it, he looked between his eldest brother and his cousin and raised a brow. "What're we going to do about it?"

"That's all up to Tommy." Michael answered before looking around the group of men that waited outside of Tommy's office with their guns. "Where is he anyway?"

"Your friend Paul has been a bit of a thorn in Tommy's side." Arthur had a smirk on his face as he said it.

"And why does that entertain you?"

"Because your Polish friend is irritating and now, I know why you get on so well together." When Michael laughed at him sarcastically, he continued, "He wasn't impressed that you weren't there to retrieve him and he's been demanding time with Tommy since he got to his hotel, so Tom's gone round to discuss plans before the race."

"How did you manage to get on so well with him?" Finn asked curiously.

"We bonded over our hatred," Michael shrugged a little and placed his hands into his pockets, "if you got to know him, you'd like him too."

* * *

As he finished his statement, Tommy's car came into sight along with a few others just behind him. He got out of the car, his eyes exhibiting how stressed he was; he wasn't even finished his first cigarette when he took out another.

"Michael Gray, how I've longed to see you again." Paul said with a laugh as he got out of his car, strolling towards him with his hand out. When Michael took his hand, Paul pulled him into a brief hug then held him at arm's length. "How is Alice? I heard she had the baby."

He could see Arthur's eyes roll from the corner of his eye and he couldn't help but smile a little. "Alice is fine, we had a bit of a home invasion last night but both her and the kids are healthy."

"I had heard, I hope you're ready to worm out these Irish as much as I am." Paul turned to Tommy and folded his arms across his chest. "Do they know the plan?"

"I'm going to tell them the plan now." He replied as he lit up that second cigarette. "Two of Paul's men to each of our bookies and three of ours at each entrance to the race. The rest of us will be watching the race, situated throughout the stands and all within eyeline of each other so that if we come across any Irish or Danny Finlay, then we can dispose of them." He let out a breath and glanced at Paul. "Make sure your guns are loaded at all times and don't let anyone fool you. They've got men and women so everyone with an accent is a suspect."

"Are we ready to get this show on the road?" Paul asked impatiently, tapping his foot against the floor.

"Let's head off," Tommy gripped Michael by the arm and nodded to his car, "you're coming with me."

"I had a feeling you would want to talk to me." He replied as he got into Tommy's car.

"We'd have to at some point."

* * *

Tommy kept his eyes focused on the road as he tried to find the words he wanted to say. He couldn't stop thinking about the way he had left things with Michael and Alice that day at his house. Perhaps Michael was right when he said that Tommy was going to be the one to destroy this family and he didn't want that prediction to come true. He could already see the splits starting to form and he had to patch them up. Starting with Michael.

"I was in the wrong, I haven't been sleeping much or thinking clearly lately. I didn't mean to cause you or Alice any harm."

"I just don't get why you would target my wife as harshly as you did, she's been nothing but kind and supportive towards you. She did everything you asked her to do and that was how you repaid her?" Michael looked at the side of Tommy's stoic face, he couldn't tell if he was being sincere or not. He was so hard to read at times.

"I thought that maybe Danny got to her. He was getting somewhere with her before that party and I started to distrust her. That had been playing on my mind and then she showed up at the docks and he made that stop," Tommy clenched the steering wheel a little tighter and tipped his head back, "I was clearly wrong, Michael. And, I apologise. With the way we left things, you didn't have to help us today and you didn't have to give me that warning about the IRA targeting our homes."

"Unlike you, I've got loyalty."

Tommy let out a sigh, he knew he deserved Michael's cheap shot, but it didn't make the sting any less painful. "I'll apologise to Alice personally, I'll fucking kneel before her feet if she wanted me to," Tommy finally met Michael's eyes, "we're family, Michael."

"I know we are. We've got blood and that's why I can accept your apology." He watched Tommy relax a little and looked towards the passenger window. "But Alice, she's going to take more work than that and you know she speaks her mind and you might not like what she has to say to you. Will you be able to keep that temper of yours under control when she comes back at you?"

"I can keep calm because I know myself that what she's got to say is what I need to hear."

"Then if we both make it out of this, I'll make it happen. And, regardless of what you said, when it comes to this, I've got your back. As long as you have mine."

* * *

It was easy to blend into the crowd; Danny knew how to dress fancy from time to time. With his hair slicked back underneath his flat cap and his hands in his swanky, pressed trousers, he moved easily through the crowds without drawing attention to himself. He glanced over at the Peaky bookies and noticed how guarded they were, it didn't surprise him, but he was surprised when he heard their Polish accents; no doubt Paul was lurking somewhere, waiting on him to make his appearance. He kept his head ducked and stepped towards his favourite place at any event, the bar.

With a pint in his hand, he took the corner chair that faced the doorway, he needed to keep his eye out for anyone that might recognise him. He leaned forward and peered out the window, watching the eager gamblers take their seats on the stands and he started to notice a pattern; there may have been two to a stand, refusing to sit. One of them turned to look in his direction, even though he hadn't spotted him yet, Danny's blood ran cold. He wasn't expecting Michael to show up and if he spotted him then it was game over for him. He downed his pint and rushed out of the bar, heading towards the back of the stadium hastily.

Before he descended into the boiler room, he looked around for anyone that could be watching. He stormed through the narrow corridor and bust into the room, making his acquaintances jump and aim their guns at him.

"Fuck Danny, it's you." One said as he lowered his firearm.

"Where's Mick?" he closed the door behind him and took off his blazer.

"Through there," they nodded at the door behind him, "what are you doing here anyway? Thought he told you to be lookout."

"That's what I was doing, now I'm here to report what I saw." He stepped towards the door.

"You better not have led anyone here." The other said with a shake of his head.

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Danny stared at the back of their heads for a moment before he headed through the door. He watched Mick fiddle with the wires of the bomb for a second before clearing his throat.

"What?" he didn't take his eyes from his work.

"The Peaky Blinders are here, so are the Polish."

"Great, is that it?"

"Michael Gray is here too."

Mick raised a brow and took his hands away from the wires. "And why does that matter?"

"I can't make my sister a widow, she's just had a baby... I hate him, but he's not the worst of them."

Mick rose to his feet and wiped his hands on a cloth. "Either you do what you've been instructed, or I make your wife a widow." When Danny put his hands in his pockets as a sign of resistance, Mick clenched his jaw. "Listen here, gypsy boy, you do what you're told, or I pay a visit to your sister personally. So, pick one to die, Alice or Michael."

Danny let out a deep breath and nodded. "Alright, alright, I know what I've got to do, just make sure you have that set up right or you'll make an ass of yourself."

"Get the fuck back out there, Danny." He shook his head in annoyance and prepped himself back in front of the wires, his eyes lingering on Danny as he left the boiler room. "Fucking gypsies."

* * *

He took the entrance closest to the racetrack and looked up at the crowd hoping to lock eyes with Michael or Tommy. All he needed was for one of them to follow him. He stopped in the middle of the arena and rested against the railings lazily, he had to think if he was doing the right thing; if this worked out well, he was going to have to disappear. He needed an emergency exit and he had to find it fast; Michael had finally spotted him and the Peakys were following behind. He jumped over the railing and ran towards the locker rooms, pushing the security guards out of the way as he made his way into the narrow corridors. He tested every door on his way past until he found one that was opened. The open-door lead into a garage, presumably where the jockeys parked their cars. He crouched behind one of the cars and took the moment to catch his breath.

* * *

"He's in here." Arthur said as they walked into the garage. "He has to be."

"Check behind and under every car." Tommy said as he took the right wing of the garage. "Michael, stay by the door."

"No need to look for me," he stood up with his hands raised in surrender, "There's no need for violence."

Michael took a few steps forward, but Arthur held him back. "Why shouldn't I shoot you right now?"

"Listen to me for a minute, alright? Right now, some men from the IRA are planting a bomb in the boiler room and they plan on blowing this whole place up. Not only are you Peaky bastards here, but some well to do people like the Prime Minister and his secretary. This would be a big claim for them if they can pull it off."

"I thought you were working for them. Why would you tell us this?" Tommy took a slow step towards him, investigating every worried crease on his face.

"I worked with them, not for them and I didn't agree to the bombing. All I wanted was for you lot to be dealt with, not for innocent people to get hurt with you."

"How noble of you." Michael scoffed as he fixed his jacket.

"Why should we believe you?" Tommy took Danny's attention away from Michael and folded his arms across his chest.

"Because you of all people know that this is something that they would do. Don't believe me, we'll all be blown to smithereens. I'm a dead man anyway."

"What's the harm in checking it out, Tom?" Arthur asked lowly.

"Michael, you stay with Danny. Don't let him leave. Arthur and I are going to see if this bomb is real."

Michael drew his pistol, keeping it gripped tightly. "I don't plan on it."

* * *

It had felt like hours, Michael didn't say a word and he kept that gun pointed at his head. He was starting to feel his skin crawl, he needed to get out of here as quickly as he could and be on the next boat to Ireland. But his brother-in-law was the only one standing between him and his family's freedom.

"You've got to let me out of here Michael, I gave you three IRA men so please give me my chance to get the fuck out of here."

"After everything that you've done, you really think that I'd let you leave here alive?" Michael took a step forward and Danny stepped back. "You sent someone to plant a bomb in our house, where Johnny and Rose are." He could tell by Danny's face that he wasn't the one that sent the IRA to their door, he looked just as angry as him.

"I told them that Alice and the kids were off limits. When did they send someone?"

"Last night."

"Fucking bastards." he looked up at the ceiling and laughed a little. "That's why they plastered me full of drink, so that I wouldn't notice if someone left." He ran his hands along his face and looked at Michael. "Are the kids okay?"

"They're grand, I got to him before he got to us. I don't even get why you're pretending like you care, it became obvious that you're full of shit when you sold those guns to the IRA."

"You can think what you want of me, it's not your opinion that I care about."

"Alice hates you even more than I do, you've burned your bridges with her."

"Well, then it looks like I've nothing keeping me here," he closed the gap between himself and Michael, trying his best to grab the gun from him, "make this easier for the both of us."

During the struggle, Michael's gun went off before it fell onto the floor. The two men punched and kicked at each other as they tried to reach for it. Just as Danny was about to grab the pistol, Michael hit him square on the jaw, knocking him onto his back. He retaliated with a hard stomp on Michael's knee, the crack that came from the impact was deafening. He gripped onto his knee and tried to push it back into place, but it was too painful. He turned his attention back to Danny, trying to grab his legs as he crawled towards the gun. It took three kicks to Michael's face before he let go of him and once the gun was in Danny's hands, he got onto his feet and aimed the barrel at Michael.

"You could've just let me leave, instead you had to make this difficult."

He heard the shot and before blacked out; all he could feel was searing pain. He failed.

* * *

**A:N Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, sorry it took a while to get this out but I've been going back and forth with the outcome of the chapter and my vision's finally came back to me. Thank you for reading!**


	24. Chapter Twenty Four

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

* * *

Time was of the essence and they couldn't waste any trying to find Paul and his men; Tommy, Arthur and the remaining Peakys were going to have to be the ones to derail the IRA's plans. They readied their weapons and piled into the boiler room, slowly moving down the cramped hallway. It was hard to focus in the sweltering heat, but Tommy was able to take one down without alerting the rest of their arrival. As they continued along the hallway, they could hear laughter and talking. He didn't know how many were going to be in the room, but it sounded like more than what he had. He looked over his shoulder at his brother and gave him a quick nod before bursting into the room, shots firing rapidly in hopes of taking someone out.

When they were fully in the room, Tommy realised how outnumbered they were; three Irish to each Peaky Blinder. He threw punches, knocking one to the ground but before he even had the chance to aim his pistol, another wrapped his arm around Tommy's neck. It felt like he was going to rip his head from his shoulders but thankfully Finn got over his nerves and shot the Irishman in the leg, making him let go of Tommy. Finn gripped onto his gun a little tighter and finished him off then moved onto the next one that dared test him. Arthur was hacking and slashing with his razor lined cap in all directions; Tommy hadn't saw his bloodlust in so long, it was only fitting that he let it out when they needed him the most. Half the Irish were gone, and Tommy took the chance to delve into the room behind the sealed door at the other end. He kicked at the door until the hinges gave into his force.

He locked eyes with the man planting the bomb, there was still time as he hadn't finished wiring the TNT to the detonator. Tommy gripped the shocked Irishman by his hair, dragging him away from the explosives. He tried to fight against Tommy, but his will was stronger and he wasn't going to let go. With the grip of his gun, Tommy struck him on his temple, knocking him unconscious. He was going to keep this one alive, he wanted the information he had.

* * *

The fresh air never felt so good and as he watched Finn and Arthur hand the Irishman over to the Polish, he wondered where Paul had disappeared to. "I'm going to go check on Michael, make sure he gets to Birmingham, alive." Tommy called over as he walked past his allies. He slipped through the unaware crowd as they watched the race and made his way into the garage. His question of Paul's whereabouts was answered when he saw him knelt over Michael, his fingers digging into the gunshot would on Michael's shoulder. Tommy ran to his side and clicked his fingers in front of Michael's bruised and bloody face. But he was too dazed to respond.

"He can't even speak. He's only came around." Paul explained as he pulled the bullet out of Michael's body.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"He'll live if I keep this pressure on him." Paul stuck his hand over the wound and pressed his weight down just enough to contain most of the bleeding. "How did this happen?"

"Danny. Michael was watching him. He must've got his gun." Tommy shook his head and let out a sigh. "How did you find him?"

"Followed the gunshot. I was standing on the other side of that wall," he nodded behind him then shook his head, "took me a while trying to find the way into the place." Paul looked up at Tommy, the concern for his friend appeared on his face. "Go get your car, he's going to need to go to the hospital." When Tommy got onto his feet, he looked over to the garage door. "Try and get that open, means we don't have to carry him through the stands."

Tommy moved towards the door and pulled on the chain over and over until the door was raised enough to get Michael out. He took one last glance at Michael before running as fast as he could to his car. He regretted his choice of leaving Michael alone with Danny, he should've known that something would happen; Danny was a snake that managed to escape everything.

* * *

It felt like the wind had been knocked out of her when she finally laid eyes on Michael, lying in his hospital bed, sedated and unaware of anything going on around him. Alice didn't even realise that Tommy was sitting by his bedside until he placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little, her hand rested on her pounding heart as she glanced at him, her fearful tears clouding her eyes; she was expecting him to say that there was no hope for him, that he wasn't going to make it by the way he was staring at her, but he didn't.

"He's going to be okay, Alice. If Paul hadn't of got the bullet out of his shoulder, it might've been a different story, but he saved him. We were lucky."

"Who did this? Was it the IRA?" she couldn't pull her eyes away from Michael's face. He was so swollen and purple.

"Danny. It was Danny that busted up his face and it was him that shot Michael."

She closed her eyes and took in a deep, jagged breath. "Where is he?"

"We don't know."

"He better be found; he has to pay for what he's done." She felt like her legs were going to collapse underneath her but as she stumbled, Tommy kept a hold of her, his arms supporting her. She sobbed into Tommy's shoulder; she couldn't hold it back as much as she tried. "Danny can't get away with this."

Tommy patted her back, trying his best to console her, but he couldn't find the right words to say to her, not when he was unsure of where their friendship lied. "We're looking for him, and we won't stop until we find him. I promise you that, Alice."

She broke away from Tommy and stepped towards Michael, lifting his hand into hers. When she placed her other hand over the back of his, she could feel that he was still warm, still alive even if he didn't seem like it. Alice blamed herself, she told him to go; she let her anger get the better of her judgement.

"Do you want me to give you a moment?"

Alice didn't turn, she just nodded and fell into the chair beside his bed. She didn't hear Tommy leave or the door close. She just kept looking at his bandaged chest and his damaged face hoping that he was going to wake up and tell her himself that he was going to be okay. Until he woke, she wasn't going to leave his side. She knew that the kids were in safe hands with Pol, the only person she had to worry about was Michael.

* * *

It was the early hours of the morning when Michael woke up, it was still dark outside, and he had no idea where he was. He felt discomfort on his face and when he looked down, he saw the bandages that were wrapped around him. It was at that moment he remembered what happened and realised where he was. He looked to his left and saw Alice, sleeping curled up on the chair, her hand barely clasping onto his fingers. He was worried about her more so than himself, he knew that he would bounce back from this, he had done so in the past, but he was almost certain that Alice would spend her time worrying with many sleepless nights and that wasn't healthy. Not when they had two young children that needed her more than they needed him.

He let go of her hand and very slowly sat up. He was determined to get out of this hospital, he couldn't spend another six weeks here when his family was being threatened. Cautiously, he put his feet onto the floor and stood up, keeping his hand pressed to the wall for support. Once he was steady, he placed a hand over his throbbing shoulder and teetered towards the toilet in the room, catching a glimpse of his face in the mirror. He didn't recognise himself and as he stared at his busted nose and lip, he recalled the kicks he took to the head. He placed his hands onto the rim of the sink and ducked his head, he would only upset Johnny if he saw him like this. He didn't know what to do.

"Michael, why are you out of bed?" Alice mumbled from the chair; she was still sleepy but wide awake.

He looked over his shoulder at her, watching as she got onto her feet and stretched out all the kinks in her back. "Needed to see if my legs still worked." He was trying to be light-hearted, but it hurt his face to smile, he could just about get his lip to curl up, but Alice wasn't in the mood for joking. "I don't know if I should stay here."

"Michael, you have to. You got shot." She shook her head at him as she took a step closer towards him, her hand placed on his back, underneath his bandage.

"I know that but the bullet's out of me, there's nothing else that the nurses can do. Plus, if I'm stuck in that hospital bed, what's to stop an IRA man coming in here and finishing the job?"

She didn't agree with his decision, but he knew that he was right. If Michael thought that he was fine enough to return home, then she wasn't going to stop him.

"But what I'm worried about the most is how Johnny's going to react," he turned to look at his reflection and shrugged a little, "to this mess here."

"I'll speak to him, tell him what's happened."

"What exactly are you going to tell him?"

"The truth, not who did it but that you were attacked. I can't lie to him, I never have."

"I don't know about that, Alice."

"Trust me, if I tell him what to expect when you get home and what happened to you, he'll deal with it a lot better than me scrambling to try and find an explanation for why your face looks like that.

He would have to take her word on that, as much as he hated to admit it, he didn't know his son as well as Alice did. With her help, he pottered back to the bed and sat on the edge, his feet rested on the floor. "Was Tommy here?"

"He was, but you were still out cold when he left."

"Have you spoke with him?"

"Bits and pieces. It was all about you and what happened. Why?" she sat back in the chair and rubbed her heavy eyes.

"We were chatting on our way to the race and he told me that he wants to apologise to you." He watched her face screw up in annoyance as her hand brushed her hair to the side. "Alice, he does regret what happened and what you said to him really made him think about his actions."

"Good, as they should've. It was only the truth. When I went to Madame Mahoney, the one who gave me the message from my mother, she said that the men in my life would have the opportunity to betray me. Danny did that the day he sent that shipment to Ireland and now Tommy betrayed me by having the opinion that I was trying to destroy the family from the inside."

"He wants to take back what he said."

"It doesn't lessen the sting, Michael." She let out a deep sigh and looked her husband in the eye. "You're the only one who resisted that temptation and I'm thankful for that, so for you I'll hear him out. But I'm not going to promise that things will be great between us."

"I don't want you to promise anything, you don't have to. I kind of want you to give him a hard time, might straighten out that ego of his."

She smiled when she saw the hint of a smirk and looked away from him, crossing one leg over the other. "I'll have my fun with it."

* * *

Michael's homecoming wasn't as bad as he expected. Johnny was more subdued than normal, and he noticed how Alice kept a hand on his shoulder. Tommy left for a moment to sort out the men that were going to guard the house while Michael had a moment with his children. Alice crouched down beside Johnny and said to him, "Remember what I said, don't jump all over dad."

"I know mumma, the bad men hurt him really bad." He said as he cautiously approached Michael. Once he was close enough, he hugged his legs, his arms wrapped around Michael's knees.

Michael set his hand on top of his head, ruffling his hair playfully. "Looks like I'm not going to be goalie anytime soon."

"Mumma said we can't play football until you're better." Johnny peered up at Michael, the sadness of this command apparent in his eyes.

He looked at his wife and she returned his look with stern stare. "I'll negotiate with your mum." He lowered himself slowly so that he was eye level with his son. "You're not scared of how I look, are you?"

"It's just cuts and bruises." He replied, as he looked at all the purple skin. "I've got a cut on my knee."

"You do? How'd that happen?"

"I tripped over Nanny Pol's feet when she was feed Rosie last night."

"Were you running in the house?" When his son nodded, he put his hand on his face and directed his eyeline to him. "You know not to run in the house. Let me see the cut."

Johnny raised his trouser leg and showed him the bandage that had a little bit of blood leaking through.

"At least we're matching." When Tommy came back into the house, Pol just behind him, Michael stood up.

* * *

"How about we go make some buns for your father? Hmm?" Pol said as she took her grandson's hand. "Let the grownups talk for a bit?" When Johnny nodded, Pol placed her hand on Michael's good shoulder and then his cheek, smiling at him. "You'll still be handsome, if that heals."

"If is the word." He watched his mum take Johnny into the kitchen then took Rosie carefully from Alice, ignoring the pain for the chance to cuddle his sleeping baby. "What's with all the men?"

"Neither of us wanted to risk the IRA coming back here." Tommy replied as he leaned against the wall, taking a cigarette out of his pocket.

"You really think they're going to come back here? If they're going anywhere, it's to you."

"We've all got out own guards outside the house, courtesy of Paul."

"I had the chance to speak to him this morning, let him know how grateful I was that he saved your life," Alice watched her husband as he shifted Rosie into a more comfortable position, "and stressed that none of us are safe until the IRA are dealt with. He offered this solution."

Michael nodded. "If it helps you sleep at night."

"It's to help us all sleep at night. Paul isn't doing this for free though, I've gave him my mother's house in the city as payment."

"What?" Tommy almost swallowed his cigarette.

"Alice, that was the last thing of hers."

"I know, but it wasn't mine to give away anyway. Danny was going to take her house, but he fucked things up before he got the chance to sign the deeds. I would rather it go to Paul and protect this family than it going to Danny."

"Are you sure?" Michael could see that losing that house bothered her more than what she was letting on.

"Definitely, it's just a house."

"If I had of known you were going to do that, I wouldn't have taken you to see Paul." Tommy said as he searched for an ash tray.

"Does this mean that you've spoken?" Michael glanced between his cousin and his wife.

"Small talk really." Tommy replied, glancing up at Alice as she stared through him. "But there's no time like the present. Alice, I am sorry for what I said."

"What was it that you said again? Just remind me." She folded her arms across her chest and sat on the arm of a chair.

"Do you really need me to say it again?"

"No, I don't, because it's been in my mind since the day you said it."

"What you said was right, I am the one that's going to ruin this family, I already put it in motion when I accused you of working with Danny. You don't have to forgive me, but please accept my apology." Tommy watched her as she mulled it over, he could tell that Michael was enjoying this spectacle, his eyes were glistening with mischief.

"I'll accept your apology, but if you ever accuse me of something like that again, that is us done. I'll never work with you again and Michael and I will return to New York and put a halt on all Shelby company activities across the pond. Am I understood?" When Tommy nodded, she unfolded her arms. "I thought you knew me better, Tommy. But I'll forgive you for now."

"Well, now that all of this has been put to bed, perhaps we should gather the rest of the family and put a game plan into motion." Michael interjected.

"You're not going to be involved in anything." Alice replied firmly.

"I can plan, I just can't be involved. I'm not going to sit around and do nothing, not when there's a war going on."

* * *

**A:N Hope you guys are all doing well during this pandemic, I wish you all my very best. Updating this might be a bit slower than normal as I'm an essential worker and I'll be working almost every day until this is all over. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading and I'll try to keep updating as much as possible during all of this. Stay safe!**


	25. Chapter Twenty Five

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Five **

* * *

If they were going to win against all the forces against them, the Shelbys and the Polish were going to have to work as one team; every one of them had to know what was going to happen and there was no room for errors. To save Michael from having to drive into the city in his condition, every meeting was going to take place in their home and Alice was going to step up and take Michael's place while he was healing; she wouldn't be able to do everything that he could, she lacked the experience but there were doors that she'd be able to open.

She didn't want to be a liability and with Michael still being so weak, Alice was going to have to learn to take matters into her own hands. One of them had to protect their kids, and for now it would have to be her. There were guards outside the house, but she knew Danny better than any of his enemies and he was a slick serpent; if he wanted inside their house, he would find a way. Thinking about their situation kept her awake and her sleepless nights weren't made any easier by Michael's snoring; she was tempted to take one of his sleeping pills just to get a bit of rest but she couldn't risk it when there was a baby in the house. Alice got out of their bed, tiptoeing towards the pile of his clothes that lay on a rocking chair and lifted his jacket, placing it onto her person. She checked the pockets for his gun and once she felt the cool metal against her fingertips, she lifted her boots and left the room. Once she was downstairs, she buckled up her boots and unlocked the door that led to the garden.

* * *

"Mrs Gray, what are you doing?" their guard, Milos asked as he lowered his gun.

"I can't sleep, thought I'd take the chance to go into the fields and practice." When he furrowed a brow at her, she showed him the gun. "I haven't shot a gun in years and Michael wasn't keen on the idea of me carrying one at all times."

"And you thought you could do it in secret?" he asked with a smirk.

She wrapped the jacket around her a little tighter and looked off towards the open land that lay beyond their garden. "I would rather he didn't know, and I feel like it could be therapeutic for me."

As Milos watched her face, he could see that something was bothering her, he had had some dealings with Alice since he had been placed at their home; he had saw the kind and caring side to her but now he was seeing something completely different.

"Do you want to talk about it Mrs Gray?" when she looked at him, he relaxed his stance. "Sometimes it's easier speaking to someone that isn't close to you."

"How can anyone enjoy a life like this? Are you married? Have kids?" when he nodded, she continued. "And does your wife like the dangerous side of the money?"

"My wife is very different from you, Mrs Gray. She grew up around gangs, drugs and war."

"I had a very sheltered life, but my father was very like Danny in his younger years, but he left it all for the quiet life and I had hoped that Michael would offer that to me when we had Rose. I have to admit that when I rekindled with Michael, the idea of being with a gangster excited me in a way I had never felt before; the woman in me thought the danger was sexy and I was swayed by the money but the mother in me was repulsed by it." She looked away from Milos and stared blankly into the distance. "I'm just filled with so much anger and hatred; I hate my brother for what he's done to Michael, I hate the IRA for targeting this family and I'm angry for the life that I've sacrificed to insure my husband's happiness."

"Have you spoke to Mr Gray about this? I'm sure he wants a quiet life as well." When she didn't respond, he placed his hands in his pockets and paced on the spot. "I've saw the way he behaves around the children, there aren't that many men that are willing to be so involved with raising their children."

"I'm lucky that he loves the kids as much as he does, but a quiet life isn't for Michael. It's for no one in this family. He tried in New York, he really did, and I could see it, but he wasn't happy until Paul grabbed him and that's the sad reality of it all. But what scares me the most is the fact that I'm starting to change my morals. When I saw that IRA man in my cellar, this rage, like nothing I've ever felt, filled my body and if I was locked alone in a room with him when he was still breathing, I'm almost certain that I would've killed him too. The woman I was when I married Michael a year ago, would never have dreamt of sneaking out of the house to shoot a gun. It's crazy how things change over a short period of time." She laughed a little and ran her fingers across her chin. "I guess my dad's words were true for me, a gangster's wife isn't a happy one."

He felt sorry for Alice; he knew all too well that it was hard to survive in the world of crime and only the strong survived. He didn't know how strong Alice was, he imagined that she would eventually crumble. "How about I accompany you into the field, teach you how to shoot the gun properly?"

"Who will keep guard?"

"There's two at the front, wait here and I'll inform them of your plans Mrs Gray, we wouldn't want them leaving the house to investigate the noise."

She nodded and watched the man walk around the perimeter of the house, it felt good to get her thoughts out of her head; for so long she had kept it all bottled inside in fear of upsetting or angering Michael. She may not have been entirely happy with the life she was dealt but she was going to do what it took to thrive in it.

* * *

Morning came like no time had passed and with all the medication he was on to keep his pain under control, sleep felt non-existent. He got out of bed and got himself ready for the day ahead; his family and the Polish were coming to work out what to do with the Irish and he had to keep his mind sharp so he would have to go without the painkillers. Just until they were gone. He got himself washed and removed the bandage from around his chest, glaring at the puncture in his shoulder as he cleaned it with disinfectant; the sting almost driving him mad. He gripped onto the sink until it passed and threw a bit of cold water around his face. "Pull yourself together." He muttered to himself before lifting his head to get one last look before a new bandage went on. It was going to be a while before he could get back into the action, all this sitting around wasn't doing him any good.

When he left his room, he peered into the nursery, expecting Alice to be there but instead, it was Mrs Adler cradling their daughter. He stepped inside and took Rose from their help. "Where's Alice and Johnny?"

"Mrs Gray wanted to make breakfast this morning, Johnny just had to help too." She explained.

"Has Rose been fed?"

"In the early hours, but she's due a feed whenever Alice is ready. I've bathed her and changed her just before you woke."

"Thank you, Mrs Adler, it seems like a beautiful day, why don't you have a break in the garden? I'll have some of the breakfast brought out to you." He gave her a small smile before making his way downstairs. "Where is that mummy of yours?" he cooed as he inspected the dressed table on his way to the kitchen. When he stepped into the room, Johnny was sat on the countertop adding ingredients into Alice's mixture as she stirred it up. She looked over at Michael with a tired smile; it looked like she hadn't got any sleep.

"Morning dad!" Johnny exclaimed as he wiped the flour from his hands onto his trousers.

"What's going on in here?" he peered into the mixing bowl and raised an eyebrow.

"Johnny and I are making pancakes. We've already got a walnut loaf in the oven." She said as she wiped her hands on a rag.

"How long have you been up?"

"A few hours." She glanced at Johnny and helped him get off the counter. "Your son woke me up. Didn't you?"

"Mumma was sleeping on the sofa when I got up."

"Why were you sleeping downstairs?"

"I don't think you realise how loud you snore when you're medicated." she took the mixture over to the hot pan and poured a little into it.

"I'll do that, Rose is due a feed." He handed their daughter over carefully and lifted a spatula. "Do you want me to sleep in the spare room?"

"It's fine, Michael. I haven't been able to sleep that well so there's no point moving you out of our room. She grabbed a stool and sat down. When Rose latched onto her, she lifted her head and watched Johnny run to his father's side, watching him flip the pancakes.

"Is everything okay?" he glanced over his shoulder.

She could hear the worry in his voice and tried her hardest to put on her best face. "I'm fine, Michael. Your family is going to be here soon, do you mind finishing those off while I get ready?"

"I thought the meeting was tonight?"

"No, they're all coming for breakfast. I'll send Mrs Adler in to give you a hand." Alice kept Rose on her chest and patted Johnny on the back of his head. "You need to get dressed too, I'm afraid."

Michael couldn't help but notice the way Alice was acting, she was planning something, and knowing Alice as well as he did, he already had a fair idea of what she was going to do.

* * *

"There was no need to put on such a spread for us," Paul said as Alice helped Mrs Adler serve everyone their breakfast, "but it is greatly appreciated."

Tommy looked over at Michael as he sat rigidly in his chair. He had barely said a word. "How are you feeling? Are you starting to heal?"

"I'm getting there. Finally got a bit of pink skin around the bullet hole." When Alice got to him and placed everything that he liked on the plate, he looked up at her, hoping to catch a smile but she seemed to be distant. Nervous or anxious. He wasn't sure.

"At least you're starting to heal." Arthur said with his mouth full. "This is really nice bread, Alice."

"I'd like to think so, it's fresh." She sat beside Michael and rested her head on top of her clasped hands.

Michael glanced at her empty plate and raised a brow. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"I'm not hungry." She looked at him and gave him a small smile.

"Right, well how about we get straight into this?" Paul chirped as he poured himself a glass of orange juice. "For the past couple of weeks there's been radio silence from Danny Finlay and the IRA. Until last night."

"What occurred?" Tommy decided to ditch the breakfast and opt for a cigarette instead.

"Last night a few of my scouts visited a small Irish bar in Twickenham and before they even had the chance to order a few drinks, they were kicked out by a couple of gypsies."

"Gypsies? Are you sure?" Michael asked as he buttered a slice of bread.

"Well, they weren't sure until they saw Danny Finlay through the crack of the door as it closed behind him."

"How can you be sure that it was him?"

"Because they waited for the bar to close and for Danny to come out. They followed him to a row of houses a few streets away, my scouts believe that this is where the IRA are hiding out."

"But how can they be sure of that? What if it's his wife and kids that he's got hiding there?" Alice was intrigued; she wanted to know where her brother was more than anyone.

"They're still keeping a watch of that house, there's no kids inside, just more Irishmen."

"Then I think a couple of our men should pay them a visit." Arthur looked over at his brother, hoping that he would give the nod of approval.

"No, we've got to be smart about this. They could be on to the scouts and could be better prepared for an attack. I'm due to be back in Westminster next week and if my suspicions are correct, which they most likely are, then my secretary has informed them of my schedule."

"You're going to need a new secretary. One you can trust." Paul replied candidly.

"There's only one person that I can trust." He glanced at Alice then looked at Michael.

"What about Lizzie?" Michael didn't want Alice to go to London, if the IRA and Danny were in London, it was too dangerous for her. They had already taken aim at Tommy once; nothing was stopping them from doing it again.

"Lizzie hasn't got a head for books like Alice does. And, she's got the kids to look after."

"Alice has our kids to look after. Rose isn't even a month old."

"You're out of action and I've saw you with your children, you're more than capable."

"Rose is breastfed, unless I have the capabilities to grow a set of tits myself, then I can't really feed her, can I?" he looked to Alice for back up, but she just stared at the table.

"I think she can speak for herself." Paul looked expectantly at Alice.

* * *

"I'm not going to London, not because I don't want to and not because Michael isn't capable of looking after our children, but because they're not going after Tommy. It would be too obvious. The reason the IRA is in London is because no Peaky is there, if they were in our home, they'd be found within an hour. London is full of Irish, Chinese, Americans and other Europeans; it's a big place to get lost in." she tied her hair up, clipping it into place. "And Danny is only there because they're going get their own revenge on him, he's just too arrogant to think that they aren't going to punish him."

"What are you talking about?" Michael sat back in his seat with a groan.

"Danny told Tommy about the bomb that they were planting without having to be tortured and left with barely a scratch on him. They probably let him in when he told them that he shot you, but they aren't going to forget that he sold them out."

"She's right, if one of my men double crossed me like that, he wouldn't be alive to tell the tale. They're going to toy around with him." Paul looked at Tommy and could see that he was taking in what Alice was saying. He had to have been able to see that she was right. "You know yourself, Tommy, if someone sold you out, you'd get your payback."

"So, what should we do?" Tommy nodded at Paul then looked at Alice.

"The IRA know that you're going to go to London because you have to and they're going to anticipate you bringing as many men as you can to protect you and then they're going to come after one of us. They might come to try and finish Michael off," she shared a look with him for a moment, she really wanted to be wrong about that guess, "but my best bet is The Polish. They're the ones that intimidate them. And it makes sense, cut away at our allies and leave us weaker."

"It does make sense, but we can't be certain that this is the play they're going to make." Tommy replied. "We have to take into account that Danny, at the moment is alive and kicking and isn't the fool that most of us think he is. He is going to try and win back their loyalty."

"I don't think he joined them willingly, his ties to them aren't that deep. The second he works out that there's trouble in his waters, he's going to run. There's one place that I know he will be before he makes his escape and when he gets there, it'll be me that he's going to come face to face with."

* * *

"Alice, you are not going anywhere near him." Michael protested, but her will was stronger than his. She was determined to make Danny pay. He could see it in her eyes.

She turned to him and spoke a little quieter, more softly. "I almost lost you, Michael, because of him and I told you that I was going to be the one to put an end to him. I am going to do this, whether you like it or not."

"How do you know that he'll be there?" Tommy interrupted.

"Because he's going to run while they're distracted by you. Only some will stay in London so take Arthur and Finn with you, but the majority will be in Birmingham and he'll take that opportunity to grab his family and go."

"Then we'll prepare for a war, we'll send notice out to the people that live near our warehouse and make arrangements for all of our men to be prepared." Tommy got onto his feet and buttoned up his blazer. "I hope you're right about this Alice, because we'll have the upper hand if you are."

"I'm very certain, I've been thinking about this since the night Michael was shot. It's the only thing that makes sense."

"When you do catch Danny, make sure you shoot him right between the eyes." Arthur looked at Alice, wagging his finger at her. "Don't let him get the better of you."

"He won't. Not this time."

* * *

What Alice was planning on doing, it wasn't sitting right with him. She had never taken someone's life before, never mind her own flesh and blood's; he thought back to the first time he killed; the moment he shot that priest changed his life forever. He became different, colder and it took him a long time to find himself again. He stared into the crackling fire with a half-drunk glass of whiskey in his hand and tried his hardest to get on board with her wishes, but he couldn't; he didn't want Alice to change. Her softness and caring nature are what made him fall in love with her all those years ago. He blamed himself, he brought her into this madness. Now she was letting it infect her.

"I know that you're mad with me, but we need to talk about this." She said as she came down the stairs. Michael had barely said a word to her since his family left their home.

"I'm not mad at you." He took a sip of his whiskey and took a cigarette from his top pocket.

She sat across from him at the other end of the sofa, her legs pulled underneath her body as she watched him smoke. "Then why haven't you said anything?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

He turned his head carefully, looking at her square in the eyes. "I'm scared."

"Why are you scared?"

"For so many reasons, Alice. I feel like I've ruined you, if you never came across me, if you never married me, you would never have thought of taking your own brother's life. You'd probably be married to some posh git, living the quiet life you always talked about."

"You haven't ruined me. I'm still me and yes, now I am thinking about killing Danny but that's not because of you, it's because of him. And it was me and me alone that stumbled into this world when I fought for that job at Shelby Company ltd. I just didn't leave it because I found you." She reached for his hand, stroking the palm of his hand with her thumb when he finally gave it over to her. "I don't enjoy this life, and I want the quiet life with you and our children, but I want you to be happy and I can deal with this world for a while, but not forever."

He looked back to the fire, this was what she wanted, and Michael knew that Alice wouldn't be at peace until she dealt with her brother. It had to be her, even though he didn't want it to be. "You're positive that this is what you want? It will change you."

"Of course, it'll change me, I can finally move on from all of this and focus on our little family instead of wasting my energy on hating Danny."

"Look at what he did to me, Alice. You've never been in a fight never mind shooting someone. You couldn't pull the trigger the first time, and it'll give him the chance to," he paused for a moment and took a breath, "I don't want you to get hurt."

She moved closer towards him and allowed him to pull her onto his lap with his good arm. She held his head close to her chest and kissed the top of his head. "He won't hurt me, if he could, he would've by now. I will come back from all of this better than the woman you married." She placed her fingers under his chin and tilted his head towards her. "I'm not going to be terrified of your world, I'm not going to be consumed by hate and I'm going to be stronger. It means when we get our quiet life, I'll appreciate it more and hopefully you will too because I'm trying to fit into this world for us."

He ran his fingers along her face, from her forehead to her chin and realised that he was beat. There was nothing he could say that would convince her otherwise, he just wanted her to be right about all of this. "We will get our quiet life, I promise you. Just give me time." When she nodded, he placed a loving kiss on her lips and pulled her in to his arms, letting her rest her head on his shoulder even if it hurt. He just wanted to be with her and forget about everything that was happening, just for a little bit.

* * *

**A:N I wanted to get this chapter out before I go back to work tomorrow and I'm hoping to find the time to get more out while we're still self-isolating. Alice and Danny are finally going to have their showdown and I can't wait to write it. Hopefully it'll give me the drive to find a bit of time to write. Stay safe and thank you so much for your kind words. Hope you enjoyed!**


	26. Chapter Twenty Six

**The Girl and The Gangster **

**Summary: **After being turned down from every secretarial role in Birmingham, Alice becomes desperate. Unable to provide for her sick mother, herself and more importantly, her young child, she takes a chance on joining the Shelby Company ltd. But when she runs into a familiar face, her whole world comes crumbling down around her.

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

* * *

There was trouble in the waters, he didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling in his gut that was screaming at him that something wasn't right. He watched as his fellow Irishmen loaded up their cars early in the morning from the upstairs window and wondered why he hadn't been told of any plan or why he wasn't being involved in any of the discussions that were happening downstairs. He heard the stairs creek behind him and glanced over his shoulder at one of the young boys the IRA had brought over from Dublin.

"Ruari wants to see ya."

"Why now? I haven't been a part of any plans." He noticed the number of guns and ammunition that was being thrown into the car and knew that something was about to go down.

"Just come downstairs." The boy returned to the front room and waited by the door for Danny.

He let out a sigh and pulled his glare from the window before descending the stairs and stepping into the living room. He looked at the faces of the ten men that filled the room as they all stared back at him. He wondered if he would be able to talk himself out of this one. When Ruari finally came into the room, he waved for Danny to take the seat that they had left for him in the middle of the room. When he complied, Ruari pulled up a chair and sat in front of him and when he pushed his coat to the side, Danny caught the twinkle of his gun that hung from a strap.

"We've got a lot to talk about, Finlay."

"So, that's the reason you lot tracked me down and brought me to this house? Just for a chat?" Danny leaned forward and raised a brow. "When you tracked me down a week ago, you said that there was no bad blood between us, that must be why you're dangling that revolver in front of me."

"It's just here in case you decide to run again and there's no bad blood, that's why you've been able to come and go from this house."

Danny shook his head and laughed a little. "Then what's all this?"

"Just collecting some information." He nodded to one of the men behind Danny and watched as he gripped his hand tightly, ready to break Danny's fingers. When he started to struggle and fight back, another man kept him still. "How did the Peaky Blinders find out about the bomb we were planting when most of the men in this room didn't even know about it?"

"Sheer luck. Maybe some of the men you told have loose lips." He looked up from his hand and watched Ruari nod once more and prepared himself for the pain. His finger cracked at the knuckle and the pain raged across his hand. He let out a yell, throwing his head back in agony.

"The only one with loose lips is you, ya gypsy bastard. Why'd you tell them?"

He wasn't going to answer until his broken finger was pressed on. He was vibrating from the pain and his veins bulging from his neck, so he finally gave into the question. "Because I didn't want my sister losing her husband."

"Family ties? You told us that Alice wasn't going to be an issue. Now because of it, Mick is the Peaky's prisoner. Because you couldn't make your sister a widow? Pathetic."

Without any warning, his middle finger was yanked and broke quickly. He stamped his feet on the ground as he tried to keep the pain out of his mind, but it was unsuccessful.

"Your ego is your greatest enemy, Finlay." Ruari got onto his feet when there were three knocks on the door. "Mick is worth ten of you, he's got loyalty. Something you gypsies know nothing about." As he stepped towards him, Ruari drew his revolver and shot Danny on the knee, watching him topple over in agony. "Tie him up in the basement and keep him alive. I'm not done with him yet." He crouched down in front of him, spitting on him. "You better pray that Mick's alive." He left the house and got into one of the cars, glaring one last time at the house. "Let's get this over and done with."

* * *

He waited for her in his dark office, his feet rested comfortably on his desk and his hands clasped on his stomach. Mary had no idea he changed his schedule and he made the phone call himself to cancel the debate that was supposed to happen this afternoon. He was going to catch her by surprise, and he couldn't wait to see how she reacted. He could hear her heels as she walked down the hall and as she got closer to the door of his office, he lit a cigarette and kept his eyes fixed on the door.

She turned on the lights and jumped when she saw Tommy sitting there. With her hand over her chest, she took a few steps forward and smiled as her heart started to calm down. "You startled me; I wasn't expecting you to be here yet." Mary fixed the bag on her shoulder and her smile started to fade away. "I thought your debate was at one, was I wrong?"

"The debate was cancelled. Apparently, the IRA were planning on planting a bomb, at least that's what I heard through the grapevine." Tommy removed his legs from the desk and waved at the seat in front of him, his stare telling her that she had no choice but to sit down.

"The IRA? Do you really think they would be that ballsy?" she asked once she was seated.

"I don't know, you tell me Mary. Are they?" he poured her a drink and watched as she took in into her hands, holding it by her chest for a moment before taking a small sip.

"They are dangerous, from what I know but I don't know much."

"Oh, come on, I wasn't born yesterday. I knew where you stood as soon as you mentioned Listowel. Drop the act." When she didn't say anything, he stepped around the desk and rested his hands on the back of her chair. "It would really save a lot of hassle if you just told us what your fellow Irishmen are planning."

"You're not making any sense Mr Shelby." She became very tense and rigid.

"Let me see what's inside that bag of yours." She glanced over his shoulder at him as he continued to peer down at her. "What are you carrying with you?"

"Have you actually lost your mind?"

He could hear the nerves in her voice, either she was telling the truth, or she was terrified that her cover had been blown. "You know that I'm not going to lay a finger on you, you've been around me long enough to know that I have some morals." He took his hands off her chair and heard her let out a relieved breath. He opened his office door and left it open for her to see who was coming in. "If you're wanting this to be as pain free as possible, I'd tell my aunt Pol everything you know, and quick."

Pol stepped into the office and glared down at the woman with a smirk. "Us Shelby's have quick tempers, so you may start talking."

* * *

His head was splitting, and he could hear the blood dripping from his knee onto the floor below him. That was when he realised, he was tied to a pipe on the ceiling and his feet couldn't reach the floor. He looked up at his hands that were bound above him and questioned how he was going to get himself free. He could hear chatter above him and their footsteps as they paced back and forth. When the door that led upstairs opened, he closed his eyes and let his head drop, wishing that whoever was coming down here wouldn't realise he had come round. Whoever was in front of him, they were so close to him that he could feel their breath on him, and he had to stay still for as long as he could.

"He's still out," he called up, "he better come round soon and give us some information on those Peaky bastards before Ruari calls or he'll be pissed."

Danny could hear banging on the door, it sounded as if someone was trying to kick the door in. Then he heard shouting and gun shots. He opened his eyes and wrapped his good leg around the guy in front of him, pulling him closer.

"Cut me free and I'll make sure you make it out alive."

"What use would you be gypsy? You won't even be able to walk." He pushed Danny's leg from his body and took out his pistol.

"Don't you hear that? Those are machine guns. The Peakys are here and you're out gunned. Your mates are probably dead or will be in a minute and you're going to go up there by yourself with a pistol?" he could tell that the young lad was thinking about it as he glanced towards the stairs. "Let me go and I'll get you out of here alive."

"If I let you go and we make it out of here, will you tell us what you know about Mick?"

"If that's what you want. Just cut me down." The lad was too naïve, and Danny knew it. Once he was cut down, he fell onto the floor with a thud and tried his best to get onto his feet without assistance. The lad watched him struggle for a moment before getting tired of watching him fumble and helped him up. "Go close that door up there, quietly."

"What?"

"If they catch a glimpse of us, we're dead." When the lad raised a brow at him, Danny rolled his eyes and motioned to his leg. "Do you really think I'm going to make it up those stairs before they come down here?"

He let out a disgruntled noise and did as he was told. Once his back was turned, Danny pounced on him, his arm wrapped tightly around his neck. With his free hand, he fought with the man to take his gun. With the right amount of pressure, it didn't take too long to have him out cold and on the floor. With the pistol in his pocket, Danny turned to the tiny window at the very top of the wall that looked onto the garden. With a bit of willpower and the need to survive, Danny was gone before The Peaky Blinders even realised that he was there.

* * *

"Search this place, see if there's anything that'll give us an edge for when we get back to Birmingham." Arthur watched as the Peakys scattered throughout the house and ran a hand over his hair, flattening it down to his head.

"Have you found anything?" Tommy asked as he stepped through the front door, glancing down at the bodies on the floor. The boys that were here were just that, young lads that were sent to the slaughter.

"Nothing yet. Has Pol got your secretary speaking?"

"All she got out of her was that there are thirty or so men heading down to Birmingham. Means that Paul is going to be outnumbered and from the looks of things, they've took their best."

"Right, we'll wrap up here and make our way back."

"I'm sure Paul can hold them off until we get there," Tommy glanced at his pocket watch and glanced at Finn as he came into the room, "what have you found?"

"I was downstairs and there was a body there, No gunshot wounds, no blood on him. But there was a pool of blood on the floor. Looks like someone was shot and tied up there."

Arthur looked from Finn to Tommy and rubbed his hands together. "Sounds like Danny to me."

Tommy nodded in agreement and put his watch back in his pocket. "Where did Danny go then?"

"The window that led into the garden, was open."

"It's up to Alice now, let's hope she knows what she's doing." Tommy placed his hands into his trouser pockets and stepped towards the door. "Round everyone up and get them back to Birmingham."

* * *

The streets of Birmingham were eerily quiet, it made Ruari and his men feel on edge, they didn't know where the shots were going to come from and they had no clue who they were going to come face to face with. They stopped in the market square, face to face with someone they had never seen before and he was alone. Ruari raised a brow and let out a smug laugh.

"Are you lost fella?" when he didn't reply he let out a deep breath. "Tell us where the Peaky Blinders are, and I'll let you walk away."

"Those are my guns that you've got in your hands." Paul was calm and having thirty guns pointed at him didn't make him flinch.

"I was starting to wonder when I was going to run into you Polish pricks."

"This Polish prick's got your boy, Mick."

"For all I know, you've killed him already." Ruari moved his foot forward and was greeted with a bullet that came from above. He looked up at the roofs and noticed that every house had a man with a gun pointed at them.

Paul wet his mouth and placed two fingers between his lips, his whistle echoing through the street. Within seconds, two of his men had Mick's limp body laid in between Paul and Ruari. Paul watched as Ruari looked for a sign of life and it came when he let out a laboured cough.

"There's your boy."

Mick looked pretty beat up; his face was swollen and covered in blood. Ruari rushed over to him but he was shot before he could get close enough to help. Ruari raised his gun and shot at Paul as he retreated into the shadows. This was going to be war, and Ruari didn't care about ruining the city until he got the Peakys and the Polish.

* * *

It was a battle getting to his father's grave; he had managed to talk someone into driving him to the bottom of the hill, but he still had to walk up it with a bullet hole in his knee. He was determined to say goodbye to him on his anniversary before he left for good. He stood over the grave and took out his hip flask, taking a small sip before pouring a little bit of the whiskey onto the ground. "Our final drink together, until we meet again." He struggled to get the cap of his flask back on with his broken fingers and eventually gave up on trying to close it. "I've got to get out of this place because I'm going to end up losing everything and I know that you're probably not proud of the things that I've done but I can't take them back." He took another swig and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Perhaps if you were still here, you could've shown me how to do better."

"Even if dad was still alive, you'd still be a degenerate." Alice replied as she slowly approached Danny. He hadn't even heard her car pull up.

He lifted his head and turned to face her; he was surprised to see a gun pointed at him. "Are you really going to do this here?"

"Why not here? You weren't going to come and say goodbye to me before you left. Besides, it's the only place I knew you'd be."

Her face was emotionless, he had expected to see anger at the least, but she seemed so cold.

"Do you really think you have what it takes to put a bullet in your own flesh and blood? Do you think you are capable of putting a bullet in anyone?"

"You'll have the honour of being my first."

"I'm your brother, Alice. I know I haven't been the best brother and we've had a few rocky patches, but do you really think I deserve to be gunned down like this?" he raised a brow at her, wincing slightly as he shifted his weight. "If you let me leave, I guarantee you that you'll never see my face again; you can tell that gangster of yours that you ended me, in fact you can tell him whatever you want, just let me go."

Alice glanced down at his leg before shaking her head. "I can't let you walk away, not after everything you've done. You betrayed me, you could've got my husband killed and then you put him in the hospital… I can't forgive you because you brought those IRA devils to our doorstep." She tightened her grip on the gun, her finger rested firmly against the trigger as she took a step towards Danny. "Did you know that the IRA sent someone to plant a bomb in our home with the kids in the house?"

His face dropped a little, he thought that he was involved in every decision, but it was at this moment that he realised he was being played. "You've got to believe me when I say that I had no clue. You, Johnny and the baby were never supposed to be a target."

"I don't believe you."

"Why would I want to hurt you or the kids? It doesn't make sense, Alice."

"But the thing is, you did hurt me and the kids when you attacked Michael with such viciousness," she stared him in the eye and tried as hard as she could to keep herself calm, "you could've killed him. How many times did you kick him in the head? It looked like a lot. What about the shot you took at him?" she aimed the gun and shot Danny in the shoulder. He dropped onto his knees and let out a roar as he clutched at the puncture, failing to stop the blood from oozing out.

"What do you want me to do…? Lie to you and say that I'm sorry?" He glared up at her as she stood above him, the gun now pointed at his head. "Look at what he's done to you! You used to be a good girl, dad's golden child and now you're nothing but a thug like those Peaky Blinders."

"The only thing that has made me like this is my hatred for you."

"Hate me all you want, but don't punish my kids by taking away their father."

The only thing that would make her change her mind about Danny was those children, but he didn't care about her own children as much as he claimed he did, and she knew that for a fact.

"Yet, you tried to take Michael away from mine. I wish I could forgive you, but I can't. I loved you, even though you tried to control me, even when you betrayed me but any love I had for you left when I saw my husband in that hospital bed." In the distance, she could see a car coming towards the hill; she had to finish what she set out to do. Their family could never be at peace with Danny still alive.

She looked down at him once more, watching the life leave him as she shot him in the head. A wave of relief washed over her when she realised that it was all over, all the drama he brought to her life was gone and she was finally free from his grip but just as quickly as that relief came, guilt took over when a car came from behind the graves and when it stopped, Danny's wife jumped out of the car. She could imagine the pain that Theresa was feeling, and she knew that she would want to take her own revenge out on Alice. She didn't know what to say to her as she watched Theresa cradle Danny's lifeless body, there was nothing she could say that would make things any better.

"Take your kids and go back to Listowel. Don't ever set foot Birmingham, I'm only giving you one chance, if I hear that you and your gypsy clan are anywhere near me or my family, I will hunt you down." Alice said coldly as she placed her gun back in her pocket.

As Alice started to walk away, Theresa looked up at her and started screaming at her, "I hope you never have peace, his face will haunt you for the rest of your life. You're evil, pure evil!"

She listened to her words, but she didn't let their effects show; Alice kept her head held high. She did what she had to for her own family, she wasn't going to apologise for putting them first. She got into her car and drove off, refusing to look back. Alice wiped away the single tear that escaped and took in a deep breath; was Michael, right? Should someone else have done this act? If she hadn't had saw Theresa's distraught face and the fury in her eyes, would she have still felt relief? She took reached across the seat for a cigarette and raked it down as she tried to come up with answers to her own questions. Only time would answer those doubts.

* * *

Things weren't looking good for the Polish; their high ground allowed them to pick off a few of the IRA, but their explosives had them on the ground before they could level the playing field. Paul was injured and took cover behind a car; a shot in his right arm was enough to render him almost useless. There were shots being fired all around him and he had no idea how many of his men were left. This wasn't how he had envisioned this; his plan was crumbling around him, and it wouldn't be long before he was gunned down.

But the tides turned when he heard a few cars screech to a halt and when he came out of his cover, he was greeted by the glorious sight of the cavalry; Tommy and his men returned and they put the machine guns to good use. Paul joined them, taking a gun from the youngest Shelby, and tried his best to help them finish off the rest of the Irish.

"I'm glad to see you!" he exclaimed over the sound of their ammunition hitting the IRA.

"Did you really think we'd just sit up in London and let you have all the fun?" Arthur replied with a grin. "Enough of the talk, let's end this."

Once the dust was settled, Paul and his few remaining men gathered up the bodies of their men and started to prepare to send them home. Even though they won, the feeling of loss outweighed their high. Tommy approached Paul, his hand on his shoulder and his eyes on the blood-soaked street. "We'll have a drink for them. Celebrate their lives, give them a send-off they deserve."

"None of that gin, vodka only." He replied as he turned away from his friends, blessing himself as he did. "They knew what they were getting into and they still joined in my crusade for justice. I'll be drinking plenty for them."

"Of course, and as promised, all the machine guns will go into your possession."

Paul nodded. "I'll meet you at your pub once I collect my friends."

"Take your time and get that arm looked at, your vodka will be waiting." Tommy patted him on the back before he left him, returning to his brothers.

"One of us should get Michael, he should be here to celebrate with us." Finn said as he looked between Arthur and Tommy.

"I'll give him a call and tell him to get to the Garrison." Tommy fixed his coat and stuffed his hands into the pockets. "The whole family should be at the Garrison so put the word out. As of now, our enemies are gone, and no one is standing in our way. All is right in the world again."

"For now." Arthur reminded him.

"That's another day, as for today, we've won. Let's just leave it at that."

* * *

**A:N I hope everyone has been keeping safe during lockdown, I know it's been a while since I've posted anything but now that things are starting to calm down a bit, I intend to update more regularly. I still have plenty more to come, even though Danny is now gone. Hope you enjoyed! Keep staying safe!**


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